Eddie Murphy opens up about his first life-changing audition

The 48 Hours actor discussed his atypical career in the new two-part Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet. Episode 1, Black Leading Men in Hollywood, says that his career was nearly inevitable from the start.

“Early on, I just knew I was going to be fa — I started when I’m around 16, I’m going, ‘I’m gonna be famous,” said the Trading Places actor.

A vintage clip from 1981 is shown next, and in it, a young, Murphy makes a bold prediction. “I wanna get, I would say famous by the time I’m 21,” he says. “I’m 19 now. I give myself two years.”

Talking about his only audition, the 63-year-old actor shared, “When I was 19, I got Saturday Night Live, and things just started happening. I didn’t go through all of the stuff that a lot of actors, I didn’t got through auditions.”

“I had one audition in my whole life. I think I’m the only actor that could say that. I had one audition. It was for Saturday Night Live,” he added.

Following his fast-paced success he was showered with advice from several of his Hollywood elders.

However, despite some useful advice, Murphy said that when he began his career in Hollywood he was in “uncharted waters” explaining that even experienced Black actors like Sidney Poitier, Heavyweight boxing champion Larry Holmes and Godfather of Soul James Brown were unable to give him much advice as they were unfamiliar to his kind of rise to fame.

Number One of the Call Sheet is now streaming since March 28, 2025.