Jamie Foxx, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Keenan Ivory Wayans were among those paying tribute to Murphy Saturday at the Saban Theater.
“I am a very, very bitter man,” he said with a beguiling smile. “I don’t get touched easily, and I am really touched.”
Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler and Russell Brand were also among the audience of Spike TV’s tribute to Eddie Murphy.
Tracy Morgan called Murphy “my comic hero” and came onstage wearing a replica of Murphy’s red leather suit from his standup show “Delirious.”
“He set the tone for the whole industry a long time ago,” Morgan said before Saturday’s tribute. “He inspired me in a fearless way.”
Sandler said he was still in high school when he first saw “Delirious,” which he described as “one of the most legendary standup specials of all time.”
“Everybody on the planet wanted to be Eddie,” he said. “He funnier than us. He’s cooler than any of us.”
Samuel L. Jackson said Murphy “changed the course of American film history” by giving Jackson his first speaking role on the big screen, in 1988’s “Coming to America.”
“If it weren’t for Eddie, we might not have all the wonderful films that I’ve made,” Jackson said.
“He is a true movie star,” Jackson continued, lauding Murphy’s performance in “48 Hours” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” “You became an inspiration for all young African-American actors.”
The program featured clips of Murphy’s standup shows, his film appearances in “Shrek” and “Nutty Professor” and his work on “Saturday Night Live” and a surprise duet with Stevie Wonder of his 1973 hit “Higher Ground.”
Murphy insisted before the tribute that he is retired.
“I’m just a retired old song and dance man,” he said, adding that he only makes rare appearances these days. “That’s what you do when you’re retired: You come out every now and then and talk about the old days.”
The 51-year-old entertainer took the stage at the conclusion of the tribute to say that he was moved by the honor.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
