# Being Eddie
**Being Eddie** is a 2025 documentary film about the American comedian and actor [Eddie Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-murphy), directed by the two-time Oscar winner Angus Wall and released on Netflix. It follows Murphy's rise from teenage stand-up comedian to *Saturday Night Live* cast member to box-office star, combining a new interview with Murphy, archive footage, and testimonials from fellow comedians and Hollywood collaborators.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/being_eddie) • [2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/eddie-murphy-documentary-release-date-news)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Limited theatrical release November 7, 2025; streaming on Netflix from November 12, 2025[3](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81094163) |
| Director | Angus Wall, a two-time Academy Award-winning film editor[3](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81094163) |
| Runtime and rating | About 103 minutes; rated R for language, sexual references, and brief nudity[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/being_eddie) |
| Producers | John Davis, John Fox, Charisse Hewitt-Webster, Terry Leonard, and Kent Kubena[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/eddie-murphy-documentary-release-date-news) |
| Featured interviewees | Adam Sandler, Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx, Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Tracy Morgan, and others[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/eddie-murphy-documentary-release-date-news) |
| Critical scores | 74% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (27 reviews); Metascore 62 on Metacritic (7 reviews)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/being_eddie) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/being-eddie/critic-reviews/) |
| Career backdrop | Murphy joined *Saturday Night Live* in 1980 at age 19 and made his film debut in *48 HRS.* (1982)[5](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/being-eddie-documentary-recap?inapp=true) • [6](https://www.afi.com/laa/eddie-murphy/) |
## Content of the film
The documentary centers on a present-day conversation with Murphy at his home, marking what Netflix describes as the first time he has invited the public into it. He revisits a career of nearly 50 years that spans stand-up specials, *Saturday Night Live*, and films including *Beverly Hills Cop*, *Coming to America*, *[Trading Places](https://www.edgepedia.org/trading-places)*, *The Nutty Professor*, the *Shrek* franchise, and his Oscar-nominated performance in *Dreamgirls*.[3](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81094163) • [7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/12/being-eddie-review-netflix-doumentary)
**Interviews.** Wall gathers fellow recipients of major Netflix deals and longtime collaborators, including [Dave Chappelle](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-chappelle), Chris Rock, and [Jerry Seinfeld](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-seinfeld), along with [Arsenio Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/arsenio-hall), Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Tracy Morgan, Pete Davidson, John Landis, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Adam Sandler, Ruth Carter, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Reginald Hudlin.[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/eddie-murphy-documentary-release-date-news) • [3](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81094163) Interview material from Murphy's older brother Charlie Murphy, who died of leukemia in 2017, is woven throughout the film.[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/being-eddie-movie-review-2025)
**Revelations.** Among the subjects Murphy discusses are his early fame, having joined *SNL* as a 19-year-old in 1980; his lifelong avoidance of cocaine, alcohol, and smoking, which he attributes to self-love and prayer; his childhood obsessive-compulsive rituals, such as repeatedly checking the gas dials on his stove, which he credits as a source of his observational humor; and his long practice of ventriloquism, including puppet likenesses of [Richard Pryor](https://www.edgepedia.org/richard-pryor) and [Bill Cosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-cosby) made for the film.[5](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/being-eddie-documentary-recap?inapp=true)
A substantial section covers his decades-long estrangement from *Saturday Night Live*, which Murphy has tied to a 1995 joke at his career's expense by cast member [David Spade](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-spade). He describes returning in 2019 to host: that episode drew almost 10 million live viewers and became *SNL*'s highest-rated episode in over a decade at the time.[9](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/f-snl-eddie-murphy-breaks-down-why-he-stayed-away-for-decades/)
## What the film omits
**Critics noted gaps.** Andrew Lawrence's review in *The Guardian* points out that the documentary leaves out notable episodes from Murphy's public life, including a 1997 traffic-stop arrest, his brief marriage to producer Tracey Edmonds, and his initial rejection of the daughter he fathered with [Mel B](https://www.edgepedia.org/mel-b). It also treats his return to *SNL* without presenting the perspective of anyone on either side of that old conflict, such as David Spade or [Lorne Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/lorne-michaels). The same review describes the film as a justification for the reported $70 million Netflix production deal with the 64-year-old star, made in hopes of a return to stand-up and a follow-up to his 1987 special *Raw*.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/12/being-eddie-review-netflix-doumentary)
## Critical reception
Reception was generally favorable but mixed on depth. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus calls it "a warm, polished, and affectionate portrait that, while not entirely in-depth, offers plenty of laughs and a lively celebration of Eddie Murphy's remarkable career and enduring influence," with 74% of 27 critics rating it positively.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/being_eddie) On Metacritic it scored 62 based on 7 reviews, in the "generally favorable" band, with 4 positive, 3 mixed, and no negative reviews.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/being-eddie/critic-reviews/)
Individual reviews ranged widely. RogerEbert.com scored it 75 and praised Murphy's refusal "to look back in anger"; *The New York Times* gave it 70 and called Murphy "good company"; IndieWire gave it 67, arguing the film commits itself to the argument that Murphy has always known who he is; *The Hollywood Reporter* scored it 60, calling it consummately polished but "not a great piece of documentary filmmaking"; and Screen Rant scored it 50, finding little unbridled access to Murphy's inner life.[4](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/being-eddie/critic-reviews/) *The Guardian* awarded 3 of 5 stars under the headline "reverential Netflix doc paints limited portrait."[7](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/12/being-eddie-review-netflix-doumentary)
## Place in Murphy's recent career
The documentary arrived during a stretch of retrospective recognition. In 2023 Murphy received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, and in November 2025 the [American Film Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-film-institute) announced him as the 51st recipient of its Life Achievement Award, first given to [John Ford](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-ford) in 1973.[10](https://apnews.com/article/b62ac9ed1d6873fe147bacd565990142) The AFI gala tribute was held on April 18, 2026 in Hollywood, with appearances by [Bill Burr](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-burr), Dave Chappelle, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Hart, Martin Lawrence, Spike Lee, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Kenan Thompson, and Stevie Wonder, among others; the tribute special streams on Netflix.[6](https://www.afi.com/laa/eddie-murphy/)
In the film itself, Murphy looks forward as well as back. He lists upcoming projects including a George Clinton biopic, *The Pink Panther*, further *Shrek* films, and a long-developing remake of *It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World* that he wants to direct, and he credits his Emmy-winning 2019 *SNL* return with recharging him after a several-year break from making movies.[5](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/being-eddie-documentary-recap?inapp=true)
## References
1. [Being Eddie, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/being_eddie)
2. [What is the Eddie Murphy Documentary About? Being Eddie Release Date, Trailer, News, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/eddie-murphy-documentary-release-date-news)
3. [Being Eddie, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81094163)
4. [Being Eddie critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/being-eddie/critic-reviews/)
5. [Does Eddie Murphy Have OCD? Revelations From Being Eddie Netflix Documentary, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/being-eddie-documentary-recap?inapp=true)
6. [Eddie Murphy, American Film Institute Life Achievement Award](https://www.afi.com/laa/eddie-murphy/)
7. [Being Eddie review, The Guardian, November 12, 2025](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/12/being-eddie-review-netflix-doumentary)
8. [Being Eddie movie review & film summary, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/being-eddie-movie-review-2025)
9. [Eddie Murphy Breaks Down Why He Stayed Away for Decades, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/f-snl-eddie-murphy-breaks-down-why-he-stayed-away-for-decades/)
10. [Eddie Murphy to receive life achievement award from the American Film Institute, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b62ac9ed1d6873fe147bacd565990142)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Documentary and biographical films › Individual documentary feature films › Film, television, and comedy figures*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license