Eddie Murphy Reveals the Strange Career Advice He Got From James Brown

Lauren Novak March 26, 3:25 pm

BEVERLY HILLS COP 3, Eddie Murphy, 1994 — Everett Collection

Comedy icon Eddie Murphy is opening up about his career and some of his famous mentors in a new two-episode Apple TV+ documentary called Number One on the Call Sheet. He shared the advice he received from Oscar-winning Hollywood legend Sidney Poitier and legendary musician James Brown. But while Poitier’s advice to stick to comedic roles was understandable, Brown’s advice was a bit more unexpected.

Murphy explained in the documentary, “And James Brown told me, he asked me, he told me I should stop cursing. He said [imitating Brown’s raspy voice], ‘You want to be in this business for a long time, you should stop that cursing.’ And he said, ‘You think you got a million dollars?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do.’ And he said, ‘You ain’t got no million dollars.’ He said, ‘If you do got a millions dollars, you take it and bury it in the woods.’ ”

James Brown on the Pyramid Stage during the third and final day of the Glastonbury Festival 2004 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 27, 2004 in Somerset, England. The festival spanned over 3 days

Matt Cardy/Getty Images

“And I said, ‘Why bury my money in the woods?’ ” Murphy continued. “He said, ‘The government will take it from you. So bury it.’ And I said, ‘But can’t the government take your land?’ And he said, ‘But they won’t know where the money is.’ That’s a true story. That’s the kind of advice I used to get.”

NUMBER ONE ON THE CALL SHEET, Eddie Murphy, 'Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood', (Season 1, ep. 101, aired March 28, 2025)

Apple TV+/Everett Collection

Though Brown and Murphy didn’t star in any films together, early in his career, Murphy was known for his James Brown impression, which he brought to SNL as part of the skit “James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party.” The impression so impressed the Godfather of Soul that he at one point suggested that Murphy play him in a biopic film.

In the film, Murphy also revealed the advice Poitier agave him advice that would impact the trajectory of his career. Murphy bumped into him and mentioned that he was thinking of playing the part of Roots author Alex Haley. However, Poitier advised him not to take the role and to focus on comedy instead.

Other stars including Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett and Jamie Foxx were also interviewed for the documentary, which premieres on March 28, 2025, on Apple TV+.