Eddie Murphy

Description: Eddie Murphy's father died when Eddie was quite young, and he, his brother, and step-brother were raised by his mother, a telephone-company employee, and his stepfather, a foreman at a Breyer's Ice Cream plant. His comic talent was evident from an early age, and by 15 he was writing and performing his own routines at youth centers and local bars, as well as at the Roosevelt High School auditorium. Eventually, Murphy made it to a Manhattan showcase, The Comic Strip. The club's co-owners, Robert Wachs and Richard Tienken, were so impressed with Murphy's ability that they agreed to manage his career. Wachs and Tienken succeeded in getting Murphy an audition for the revamped "Saturday Night Live" (1975), where he was eventually cast as a featured player, but by the end of his first season, however, he had moved up to star status.