Eddie Murphy flexed his comedic chops while accepting a career-high honor during Tuesday’s Golden Globes ceremony.
Presented by comedian Tracy Morgan and actress Jamie Lee Curtis, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, named for the famed director of Hollywood’s Golden Age, was awarded to Murphy in recognition of his contributions to the entertainment industry spanning just over four decades.
Morgan appeared visibly emotional as he credited Murphy with inspiring his own career, before introducing Curtis to the stage who recalled the genius of Murphy as they worked together on set of the 1983 holiday comedy classic, Trading Places. Finally, Murphy took to the stage to accept his award, to thunderous crowd applause.
“I want to say thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press for bestowing this prestigious honor on me,” Murphy began. “I’ve been in show business for 46 years and the movie business for 41 years, so it’s been a long time in the making and it’s greatly appreciated.”
Thanking his partner Paige and his 7 children for their love, support, and inspiration over the years, he went on to thank a list of his collaborators, directors, and people driving his career behind the scenes for the last few decades.
“Like I said, I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I could literally stand up here and keep saying thank you until they play the piano,” he observed. “But I’m going to wrap it up and say something to all the new, up-and-coming dreamers and artists that are in the room tonight.”
“I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind,” Murphy said. “It’s a blueprint. And I’ve followed it my whole career. It’s very simple, just do these three things: Pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out your f**king mouth!”