Eddie Murphy's Real Name: Edward Regan Murphy

Quick answer: Eddie Murphy's real name is Edward Regan Murphy. He was born on April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He joined Saturday Night Live at 19 and went on to star in 48 Hrs., Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and The Nutty Professor. He voiced Donkey in Shrek and earned an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls (Biography.com; Library of Congress).

Real name and early life

Biography.com lists his full name as Edward Regan Murphy, born April 3, 1961, in Brooklyn. The Golden Globes' profile calls him Edward "Eddie" Murphy. The Library of Congress files him as "Murphy, Eddie, 1961-," citing "b. April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York City."

Biography.com says he spent his early years in the Bushwick projects. His father, Charles, was a New York City police officer and amateur comedian, and his mother, Lillian, was a telephone operator. His parents divorced when he was 3, and his father died five years later. When he was 9, his mother married Vernon Lynch, a foreman at a Breyers ice cream plant, and the family moved to Roosevelt, Long Island. He watched a lot of TV and became a skilled mimic. "My mother says I never talked in my own voice," he later said. LOC notes he attended Nassau Community College in 1979.

Career highlights

Britannica says he began doing stand-up in New York as a teenager and joined SNL in 1980 at 19. He quickly became the show's top performer with characters like Mister Robinson, a spoof of Mister Rogers, and a cranky Gumby. His first film, 48 Hrs. (1982), was a hit, followed by Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), and The Golden Child (1986). He left SNL in 1984. LOC records a Grammy for best comedy album for Eddie Murphy: Comedian.

He played four roles in Coming to America (1988) and had a pop hit with "Party All the Time" (1985). After early-1990s flops, he rebounded with The Nutty Professor (1996) and Dr. Dolittle (1998). He voiced Mushu in Mulan (1998) and Donkey in the Shrek films. Dreamgirls (2006) won him a Golden Globe and his first Oscar nomination. He played Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite Is My Name (2019). Returning to host SNL after 35 years won him a 2020 Emmy. He made Coming 2 America (2021) and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024). He received the Mark Twain Prize in 2015 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Biography.com says he married model and actor Paige Butcher, a marriage People confirmed in July 2024.

Name notes for searchers

Eddie is short for Edward, and Regan is his middle name. Biography.com also styles it "Eddie Regan Murphy" in its early-life section.