Eddie Murphy defends this maligned movie — despite rumors it cost him ‘Dreamgirls' Oscar
The actor and comedian, 64, recently defended his critically maligned 2007 comedy which many believe caused Murphy to lose an Oscar for his performance in 2006's 'Dreamgirls.'
'I love 'Norbit,'' Murphy told Complex. ''Norbit' came out right after I got that Oscar nomination. There were articles like, 'How can he get an Oscar, he did this?' They're two different movies.'
7 Eddie Murphy in 'Norbit.'
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
'I wrote 'Norbit' with my brother, Charlie, and we think 'Norbit' is funny,' he continued. 'Here's the thing with 'Norbit,' it came out and they gave me a Razzie Awards for worst actress, worst actor and worst actor of the decade. And I was like, 'Come on now, sh-t ain't that bad.''
Murphy said in conclusion, 'I like 'Norbit.' To this day, I like 'Norbit.' There's stuff in 'Norbit' that makes me laugh.'
7 Eddie Murphy at 'The Pickup' premiere in Los Angeles on July 27.
Jim Ruymen/UPI/Shutterstock
7 Eddie Murphy (center), Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Anika Noni Rose in 'Dreamgirls.'
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
In the Brian Robbins-directed comedy, Murphy portrays multiple roles including the title character's overweight wife, Rasputia.
The film, which also stars Thandie Newton, Terry Crews, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Marlon Wayans, was panned by critics and was nominated for eight Razzie Awards.
7 Eddie Murphy in 'Norbit.'
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
7 Eddie Murphy as Rasputia in 'Norbit.'
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
One week before 'Norbit' came out, Murphy received his first Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his turn as soul singer James 'Thunder' Early in 'Dreamgirls.'
Murphy won at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors' Guild Awards during that award season, but due to the supposed 'Norbit effect,' he lost at the 2007 Academy Awards to Alan Arkin for 'Little Miss Sunshine.'
The Bill Condon-directed musical drama still took home two Oscars, including best supporting actress for Jennifer Hudson.
7 Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose in 'Dreamgirls.'
©DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
During the Complex interview, Murphy pushed back on 'Norbit' being on of his worst movies and instead named 1998's 'Holy Man' and 2002's 'The Adventures of Pluto Nash.'
Murphy also revealed that he turned down Chris Tucker's role in 'Rush Hour' to do 'Holy Man.'
'It was a no-brainer,' he said of the decision that didn't pay off. 'Then we went to Miami and made a horrendous film. But it was easy to go. But I have to stop saying it was 'horrendous'—the movie was soft, it wasn't a great picture.'
7 Eddie Murphy appears on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' in May 2025.
Getty Images
After his string of poorly received films including 'Norbit,' Murphy took a few years off from acting.
'I was making sh-tty movies,' Murphy said on Marc Maron's podcast back in 2021. 'I was like, 'This sh-t ain't fun. They're giving me Razzies…Motherf—ers gave me the 'worst actor ever' Razzie. [So I thought], 'Maybe it's time to take a break.''
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