Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy gained recognition after he featured on the sketch show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984, and broke out as a movie star in the 1980s. By delivering some of his best performances in his career in the showbiz industry, the actor will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from AFI.

Eddie Murphy to be honoured by AFI

Reportedly, the American Film Institute announced that he will receive its Lifetime Achievement Award. The tribute ceremony is scheduled for April 18 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. AFI Board of Trustees chair Kathleen Kennedy said the organization is celebrating an artist whose impact stretched across generations.

She noted, “Eddie Murphy is an American icon. A trailblazing force in the art forms of film, television, and stand-up comedy, his versatility knows no bounds.”

All about Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy had a breakthrough as a stand-up comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognised as one of the greatest comedians of all time. He established himself as a leading man with starring roles in The Golden Child (1986), Coming to America (1988), Harlem Nights (which he also directed) (1989), Boomerang (1992), The Nutty Professor (1996), Dr. Dolittle (1997), Bowfinger (1999), Daddy Day Care (2003), and Norbit (2007).

He has received several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2023.

Murphy has worked as a voice actor, including Mushu in Disney’s Mulan (1998), Thurgood Stubbs in the sitcom The PJs (1999–2001), and Donkey in the Shrek franchise (2001–present), the latter of which earned him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role nomination.