Eddie Murphy has revealed that he was offered a role in the 80s classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit but turned it down.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Murphy was asked to confirm or deny some things about his career and previous roles that he might have turned down.
The legendary comic was asked about why he didn’t appear in Ghostbusters after it was revealed that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis originally wanted him to be in the 1984 movie. He had to turn down the role because he had already signed on for Beverly Hills Cop.
“It wasn’t like I turned it down so much as I wasn’t available because I was doing this other movie,” Murphy said.
“The only movie that I ever turned down that became a big hit was Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” Murphy told Fallon. “I was going to be the Bob Hoskins dude,” he added, referring to the iconic British actor who ended up playing the movie’s human lead, Eddie Valiant.
Murphy went on to explain that his decision to turn down the role was because he didn’t believe the blend of live action and animation was going to work, even though cartoons and human actors had appeared on screen before.
“I was like, ‘What? Animation and people? That sounds like bullshit to me,'” Murphy joked. “Now every time I see it I feel like an idiot.”
Speaking of Beverly Hills Cop, Eddie Murphy has confirmed he is planning to make Beverly Hills Cop 4 once work on Coming To America 2 is complete.
The franchise began in 1984, with the third film released in 1994. Murphy plays Axel Foley, a Detroit cop who, in the original film, travelled to California to hunt down his friend’s murderer.
Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy returned to host Saturday Night Live last night (December 21) for first time in 35 years – and he brought some friends along.
The long-running US variety programme returned to screens for its 45th season back in September, with musical guest Billie Eilish and presenter Woody Harrelson appearing on the first episode. It was announced prior that Murphy would make a return to host the show for the first time since 1984.