Ryan Reynolds Thinks Eddie Murphy Deserves an Oscar—But Not for the Film You’d Expect

Ryan Reynolds Thinks Eddie Murphy Deserves an Oscar—But Not for the Film You’d Expect

Ryan Reynolds believes that Eddie Murphy should have won an Oscar for his comedic genius—not for his dramatic roles in Dreamgirls or Dolemite is My Name, but for his performance in The Nutty Professor.

If Reynolds had a say, the 1997 Oscars would have looked different. In a recent interview on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, the Deadpool actor argued that comedy deserves more serious recognition from awards bodies. He highlighted Murphy’s performance in The Nutty Professor as Oscar-worthy. “We overlook comedy as a craft, and if you ask me, one of the greatest injustices is that Eddie Murphy doesn’t have an Oscar for The Nutty Professor or The Klumps,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds praised Murphy’s 1996 performance, where he played seven distinct characters, often interacting in the same scene, thanks to heavy prosthetics and makeup. “Just the fact that he could sit at a table and be 10 different characters is extraordinary,” Reynolds remarked. “It’s a kind of talent that’s almost beyond comprehension.”

Murphy is known for taking on multiple roles in various films, including Coming to America, Vampire in Brooklyn, Norbit, and Meet Dave. However, his only Oscar nomination was for Dreamgirls in 2007. The Nutty Professor did win an Oscar, but it was for Best Makeup rather than Murphy’s performance.

Reynolds isn’t alone in his admiration. Back in 2006, as Murphy was gaining awards buzz for Dreamgirls, comedian Chris Rock praised his work in The Nutty Professor and Coming to America. “Peter Sellers got tons of credit for doing multiple characters, but Eddie created distinct personalities,” Rock told The New York Times. “Eddie should have won multiple Oscars for his characters in those movies alone.”

Anchorman star David Koechner echoed these sentiments in 2015, calling Murphy’s work in The Nutty Professor “one of the greatest performances of all time” in an interview on The Herd podcast. “Who else can do that?” Koechner asked. “What Eddie Murphy did was create a unique personality for each character. It’s amazing.”

Ryan Reynolds Thinks Eddie Murphy Deserves an Oscar—But Not for the Film You’d Expect

Murphy himself holds The Nutty Professor close. When a New York Times journalist mentioned that Bowfinger was their favorite Murphy performance, he responded, “Better than The Nutty Professor?” Murphy went on to explain, “I like Bowfinger, but Nutty Professor—that stuff is real. Rick Baker’s makeups turned me into someone else entirely. I can’t think of another person who could do Nutty Professor.”

In his Variety interview, Reynolds also cited Murphy as a major influence, noting how he drew inspiration from Murphy’s stand-up and films. “When you’re young, you’re trying on personalities like clothing,” Reynolds explained. “I’d watch Eddie Murphy’s stand-up and imitate everything, memorizing how he moved, how he spoke.”

Listen to Reynolds’ full Variety Awards Circuit interview above.

Latest new from Amzsmiles