Eddie Murphy hasn’t showed up in Studio 8H since leaving the show in 1984, nor has he appeared in any reunions, specials, or interviews about the show. But all that might change this weekend, because shit, he’s gotta promote Tower Heist!
Ben Stiller, Murphy’s co-star in the upcoming Brett Ratner action comedy, is hosting SNL this weekend, and rumors are flying that Murphy will make an appearance. I buy it. While there have been long-standing rumors that Murphy and Lorne Michaels are no fans of each other (which makes some sense, as Murphy was on the show during the years Lorne wasn’t involved), one source of Murphy’s animosity is said to be a David Spade joke made in 1989, when he said “Look children, a falling star… Quick, make a wish!†22 years later, I’m guessing Murphy is probably over that slight.
So will Murphy show up during the monologue, or maybe at the Weekend Update desk? It’s certainly possible! It’s also quite possible that this rumor is swirling around simply because he and Stiller are in a movie together and has no basis in reality. I’m hoping not; it’d be pretty great to see Murphy back on that stage, if but briefly. We’ll see!