Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer.
Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984. He has worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.
In films, Murphy has received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs., the Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and Dolemite Is My Name. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls.
The Big Break: Chris Rock Made Film Debut in ‘Beverly Hills Cop 2’ 35 Years Ago
variety.comTim Gray Senior Vice PresidentRight now, the name Chris Rock is synonymous with one thing: The Slap at the March 27 Oscars.
However, Rock’s career is a lot more varied than that one incident, though there are several clues in his work leading up to that moment.May 20 marks the 35th anniversary of his movie debut as a parking valet in the 1987 “Beverly Hills Cop 2.”Variety’s review described it as “noisy, numbing, unimaginative” and didn’t mention Rock.
A year later, however, he got a shout-out in the Dec. 9, 1988, review of “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” with Variety enthusing, “Chris Rock turns a walk-on into a standout” as a customer in a rib joint.Rock’s first big break came in 1984, when he booked a splashy standup gig in 1984 at Catch a Rising Star in New York.
Eddie Murphy saw and mentored him, Rock continued to work, and soon he made his television breakthrough on “Saturday Night Live” in the 1990-92 seasons.
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