Eddie Murphy 'never left' Hollywood

10 September 2019

Eddie Murphy doesn't see 'Dolemite Is My Name' as his comeback role, because he "never left" Hollywood.

Eddie Murphy

The 58-year-old actor hasn't graced the silver screen in a leading role since 2016's 'Mr. Church', but has insisted his upcoming role in 'Dolemite Is My Name' isn't a "return" to Hollywood, because he doesn't believe he ever left.

He said: "The whole return thing. Nobody leaves now. Now they have all these cable channels and satellite movie channels and social media. You really can't leave, even if you wanted to leave, you can't leave. Your image is always out there.

"It's the latest thing I've done. But there is no return or anything. You never leave."

In 'Dolemite Is My Name' - which is directed by Craig Brewer - Eddie stars as real-life comedian Rudy Ray Moore, who gained fame with the titular 1970s blaxploitation character Dolemite, and the actor says he found the comedian's story "inspirational" because it is so different from his own.

He told The Hollywood Reporter: "I was a big fan of Rudy Ray Moore from the time I was 14, 15 years old, I started watching him. And when I got older I found out how he was a catalyst, how he put his movies together. He financed them. And he put his records together. He financed all of his stuff. He became this inspirational figure because my career was the exact opposite of Rudy Ray Moore's. I really got in really easy, and he took a whole different road, so he's got a really inspirational story."

Eddie also worked as a producer on the film, and stars alongside Keegan-Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, and Ron Cephas Jones.

'Dolemite Is My Name' premiered at Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, and will be released on October 4 before going to digital streaming via Netflix on October 25.