Eddie Murphy recently reflected on his memorable 1988 Oscars speech, where he boldly called out the Academy for its lack of recognition of Black actors. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy shared insights about the moment and what fellow comedian Robin Williams told him just before he took the stage.
Murphy recalled presenting the Best Picture category at the ceremony. “I remember being with Robin Williams backstage. I was like, ‘I’m gonna say this.’ And he goes to me, like, ‘But why go there?’” Murphy explained.
He continued, “I was like, ‘Oh, you don’t think it’s funny?’ It was more, is it funny? Rather than it’s controversial. I was trying to be funny and say a little something, but be funny too. Have a little edge to what I said.”
Reflecting on the impact of his speech, Murphy noted that he “wasn’t thinking of the ramifications of it.” He added, “I was just trying to be funny in the moment and I wanted what I was saying to be relevant.”
During his speech at the Oscars, Murphy expressed his initial hesitation about presenting. He revealed that when his management told him about the opportunity, he didn’t want to attend.
“I’m not going because they haven’t recognized Black people in the motion picture,” he stated.
He went on to honor the few Black actors who had won Oscars in the Academy’s 60-year history, mentioning legends like Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, and Louis Gossett Jr.
“I’ll probably never win an Oscar for saying this, but hey, what the hey, I gotta say it,” Murphy said. “Actually, I might not be in any trouble ’cause the way it’s been going is about every 20 years we get one, so we ain’t due to about 2004. So by that time, this will all be blown over.”
Murphy’s speech continued with a powerful message:
“So I came down here to give the award. I said, ‘But I just feel that we have to be recognized as a people. I just want you to know I’m gonna give this award, but Black people will not ride the caboose of society, and we will not bring up the rear anymore. And I want you to recognize us.’”
Two years after Murphy’s speech, Denzel Washington won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 1989 film *Glory*. Murphy himself was later nominated at the Academy Awards in 2007 for his role in *Dreamgirls*, though he lost to Alan Arkin for *Little Miss Sunshine*.
Eddie Murphy’s candid reflection on his 1988 Oscars moment highlights both the challenges and gradual progress of Black actors in Hollywood, alongside the power of using humor to shine a light on important issues.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/eddie-murphy-robin-williams-oscars-speech-academy-black-actors-1236614773/
