>> Stephen: MY FIRST
GUEST TONIGHT IS A GIANT, A LEGEND AND A LEGENDARY GIANT. PLEASE WELCOME EDDIE MURPHY! ♪ ♪ ♪<i>
( APPLAUSE )</i> <i> ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i>
♪ ♪ ♪ <i> ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i> <i> ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i> >> THANK YOU. >> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING
ON. NICE TO SEE YOU. >> THAT'S A NICE, WARM, NEW YORK
WELCOME. >> Stephen: IT IS. <i> ( APPLAUSE )</i>
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK TO THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER. I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN
ABOUT EIGHT YEARS. >> AND IT'S STILL FREEZING HERE. >> Stephen: COMEDY WEATHER. COMEDY WEATHER. >> SO COLD. >> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE FIRST
TALK SHOW YOU WERE ON BACK IN THE DAY, WHEN YOU FIRST SORT OF
HIT? >> THE FIRST REAL, REAL TALK
SHOW? >> Stephen: LIKE A LATE-NIGHT
TALK SHOW. YOU WERE ON JOHNNY, I ASSUME. >> "THE TONIGHT SHOW." >> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE
GOING ON THAT SHOW? HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THE TIME? >> I WAS 20. >> Stephen: WOW! >> YEAH. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
>> Stephen: THAT'S-- THAT'S YOUNG. >> I WAS REALLY YOUNG. BACK THEN, THAT WAS THE ULTIMATE
TO GET ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW. GLVMENT SURE. >> YEAH, THAT WAS A GREAT
MOMENT. >> Stephen: YEAH. HOW DID THEY MAKE YOU PREPARE? WAS IT LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE
THREE STORIES AND THEY WOULD BE LOOKING OVER YOU LIKE HAWKS. >> THEY JUST SAID, "DON'T WEAR
ANYTHING WHITE." BACK THEN YOU COULDN'T WEAR A
WHITE SIEWPT BECAUSE IT WOULD DO A WEIRD THING TO THE CAMERA,
SOME KIND OF EFFECT, SO YOU COULDN'T WEAR ANYTHING WHITE. THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID. >> Stephen: DO YOU REMEMBER
WHAT YOU WORE? >> I HAD A BLUE SUIT ON WITH A
TIE AND WHITE SHIRT. I WAS KIND OF-- ALMOST WHAT YOU
HAVE ON. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
>> Stephen: IT'S IN HONOR OF YOUR FIRST APPEARANCE ON CARSON. WE LOOKED IT UP. WE LOOKED IT UP. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
WELL, YOU WERE SO YOUNG, AS WE WERE SAYING, 20 YEARS OLD, WHEN
YOU HIT SUPER STARDOM. 19 WHEN YOU WERE HIRED FOR
"S.N.L." >> AUDITIONED AT 18. >> Stephen: AND GOT THERE AT
19. I THINK THEY'RE RETROACTIVELY
REALLY HAPPY FOR YOUNG YOU TO HAVE GOTTEN THAT GIG. DID IT FREAK YOU OUT AT ALL
BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY YOUNG? YOU EXPLODED RIGHT AWAY. YOU WERE THE BREAKOUT STAR, YOU
AND PISCOPO IN THE CAST FROM 80-85? >> NO, I WAS ONLY ON TWO AND A
HALF, THREE YEARS. >> Stephen: 80 TO 83. DID THAT OVERWHELM YOU IN ANY
WAY? YOU BECAME ENORMOUS RIGHT AWAY? >> I WAS YOUNG AND YOU KNOW WHEN
YOU'RE YOUNG YOU TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED. NOW WHEN I LOOK BACK ON IT, I
WAS LIKE WOW. BACK THEN I WAS LIKE, YEAH, IT'S
SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS, RIGHT? I THOUGHT THAT'S HOW IT WAS. >> Stephen: HOW LONG HAD YOU
ALREADY BEEN GIGGING BEFORE YOU DID THAT? >> I STARTED WHEN I WAS 15. >> Stephen: AND WHAT WERE
THOSE CLUBS LIKE? AT 15 WERE THEY SERVING LIQUOR
IN THERE. >> BAR S. >> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO
LIE ABOUT YOUR AGE SO THEY WOULD LET YOU PERFORM? >> YEAH, I WOULD SAY I WAS 18,
TAKE MY MOTHER'S LITTLE MASCARA THING, GIVE ME A LITTLE
MUSTACHE. >> Stephen: BRUSH IT IN. >> AND I HAD MY SUNGLASSES ON,
AND I SAID I WAS 18. >> Stephen: BECAUSE OLDER
PEOPLE WEAR SUNGLASS AT NIGHT? >> THAT'S JUST THE WAY I WAS
THINKING. I WAS REALLY YOUNG. LAW LAUGH. >> Stephen: FROM YOUR VANTAGE
POINT NOW IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO THAT 18-,
19-YEAR-OLD WHAT, ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM? >> THAT'S SO MUCH STUFF. THAT PERSON BACK THEN WOULDN'T
HAVE LISTENED TO ANYTHING I HAD TO SAY. >> Stephen: THAT'S ACTUALLY--
THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE. >> HE DID NOT LISTEN TO ADVICE. >> Stephen: THAT'S PROBABLY
TRUE. I HAVE A FRIEND, AN OLD PRIEST,
A FRIEND OF MY FATHER'S, AND I SAID, "HARRY, I WISH I COULD
TALK TO MY DAD," BECAUSE I WAS IN MY 20s, "GET SOME ADVICE
SM. AND HE SAID, WELL, IF IT MAKES
YOU FEEL ANY BETTER, YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T LISTEN. >> YEAH. >> Stephen: WHAT WOULD YOU
TELL HIM THAT YOU WOULDN'T LISTEN TO? YOU SEE YOU TRY TO AVOID THE
QUESTION AND I JUST-- >> I DON'T DO A LOT OF --
>> Stephen: I'M DOING MY JOB NOW. >> I DON'T GIVE A LOT OF ADVICE. EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT PATH
TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE. SO I DON'T GIVE A LOT OF ADVICE. TO THE YOUNG COMICS I WON'T BE
GIVING ADVICE. >> Stephen: HOW ABOUT OLD
COMICS? WOULD YOU GIVE OLD COMICS
ADVICE? >> JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE
DOING, STEPHEN. >> Stephen: "YOU'RE A NATURAL
KID." >> NEWER A NATURAL BEST. >> Stephen: HERE IS SOMEBODY
WHO DID NOT HIT RIGHT AWAY, DID NOT EXPLODE AT 19, RUDY RAY
MOORE WHO YOU PLAY IN YOUR NEW MOVIE "DOLEMITE IS MY NAME." DID NOT GET FAMOUS UNTIL HE GOT
OLDER. I KNOW WHO RUDY RAY MOORE IS. >> YOU DO? >> I DO. >> THAT'S GOOD. >> Stephen: IT'S A LITTLE BIT
COMPLICATED WHO HE SWHO DOLE MIGHT IS AND WHAT HE DID WITH
THE MOVIE. EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE WHO RUDY
RAY MOORE WAS. >> RUDY RAY MOORE WAS THIS
UNDERGROUND COMEDIAN BACK IN THE 70s AND HE DID A REALLY,
REALLY, REALLY X-RATED ADULT HUMOR. AND HE-- LIKE I SAID HE WAS
UNDERGROUND AND HE DEVELOPED THIS CULT FOLLOWING OF PEOPLE. AND HE MADE THESE MOVIES. HE FINANCED HIS MOVIES HIMSELF,
AND HE DID THESE COMEDY RECORDS AND FINANCED HIMSELF. IT WAS LIKE HE COULDN'T GET IN--
IN THE 70s THERE WAS A LITTLE PERIOD CALLED THE BLACK
EXPLOREITATION AREA WHERE HE WAS DOING DIFFERENT TIMES OF MOVIES. AND HE COULDN'T GET IN WITH
THEM. THEY WERE LIKE, "WE DON'T WANT
TO WORK WITH YOU." AND HE HAD TO GO BACKDOOR AND
GET HIS OWN STUFF MADE. AND HE BECAME LIKE A LITTLE HERO
OF MY. HE WAS LIKE THIS GUERRILLA
FILMMAKER FROM THE 70s. >> Stephen: THIS IS A FAMOUS
ALBUM COVER OF HIS. I'M GOING TO SHOW THIS TO THE
AUDIENCE-- >> YEAH, YOU CAN'T SHOW THAT ON
TV. <i> ( LAUGHTER ).</i> >> Stephen: THERE IS,
LITERALLY, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVERY SINGLE BIT OF THIS IS
GOING TO HAVE TO BE BLURRED. LIKE, THE ENTIRE ALBUM HAS TO BE
BLURRED. >> YOU KNOW IT, BUT HE'S NOT --
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHAT I SAID. >> YEAH. >> Stephen: LET'S SHOW THEM
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS IS WHAT-- THIS WAS HIS
ALBUM. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
AND I'M SAYING YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING OVER HERE, AND YOU
CAN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING OVER HERE. >> YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S THE TAME ALBUM COVER. HE HAS SOME ALBUM COVERS THAT
WOULD MAKE ME BLUSH. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
AND THAT'S HARD. TO MAKE ME BLUSH. >> Stephen: DID YOU EVER MEET
HIM? >> YEAH, I MET HIM A FEW TIMES. I APPROACHED HIM. I WENT UP TO HIM-- I SAW HIM
AT-- I WENT TO SEE HIM A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES. I SAW HIM ON A PLACE ON VENTURA
BOULEVARD WHERE I HAD AN IDEA TO MAKE A MOVIE 15, 16 YEARS AGO,
AND HE HAD NO INTEREST MAKING A MOVIE. "LET'S GO ON TOUR TOGETHER." HE WANTED TO TOUR. >> Stephen: WHY DID YOU WANT
TO MAKE THIS FILM? WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE-- WHAT
DID YOU WANT TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS GUY? >> WELL, LIKE I SAID, HE'S AN
INSPIRATION. FIRST AND FOREMOST, HE'S VERY,
VERY FUNNY. HIS MOVIES STARTED OFF, LIKE--
IF YOU WATCH A RUDY RAY MOORE MOVIE. THEY STARTED OFF-- KIND OF
STONER PICTURES. THEY WERE THE KIND OF MOVIES
PEOPLE WOULD SMOKE, AND THEN THEY WOULD, "LIKE, LOOK, AND
SAY, "HEY, LOOK WHAT HE JUST SAID." OR HE'D THROW A PUNCH AND MISS
BY A LOT IN THE PUNCH, OR THE MICROPHONE, AND YOU COULD SEE
THE MICROPHONE COME IN THE SHOT. SO IT WAS STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT MADE EVERYBODY
START WATCHING HIM INITIALLY. THEN I STARTED DOING COMEDY
MYSELF. >> AND STARTED SEEING HIM A
WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY. THEN WHEN I GOT INTO MOVIES, IT
WAS LIKE-- THEN I FOUND OUT HOW HE MADE HIS MOVIES, HE BECAME AN
INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE TO ME. LIKE I SAID, HE'S A GUERRILLA
FILMMAKER. >> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP
RIGHT HERE. YOU CAN EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON
IN THIS CLIP? IT'S AND YOU KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY. WHO I THINK IS THE WRITER OF THE
MOVIE? >> YES. IN THE MOVIE. >> Stephen: IN THE MOVIE HE'S
THE WRITER OF DOLEMITE'S MOVIE. >> WE'RE SEEING WHERE RIGHT NOW,
I CAN CHOP ME. >> Stephen: OKAY. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
IT'S SELF-EXPLANATORY. JIM. >> WE WANT THIS THING TO BE RAW,
TELL IT LIKE IT IS ON THE STREETS. LOTS OF PIMPS AND CUSSING AND
KUNG FU, KARATE. BROTHERS LOVE ALL THE KUNG FU
AND KARATE. >> YOU KNOW KARATE? >> NO, BUT I CAN LEARN. YOU KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE? A ALL-GIRL KUNG FU ARMY. >> YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF
STORY OPPORTUNITY, RUDY. ACROSS THIS NATION, INNER CITIES
ARE BEING PLAGUED BY VIOLENT CRIME. I FEEL GOVERNMENT HASN'T STEPPED
UP. >> THAT'S IT, IT'S WHITEY'S
FAULT. THE MAYOR IS CORRUPT, AND
THERE'S AN EXORICISM. >> DAMN IT, AN EXORICISM. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT FITS
INTO OUR URBAN MOTIF. <i> ( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE )</i> >> Stephen: HE SEEMS LIKE A
GOOD PRODUCER. HE'S GOT HIS FING OARPT PULSE OF
THE AUDIENCE THERE. >> HE IS A DUDE THAT BELIEVED IN
HIMSELF, YOU KNOW. AND WHEN HE COULDN'T GET IN, HE
WENT THE BACK DOOR, AND HE, LIKE-- LIKE HE WENT AND GOT
SOMEBODY TO WRITE IT, AND HE WENT AND PAID OUT OF HIS OWN
POCKET AND HE GOT IT MADE. AND WE'RE MAKING A MOVIE ABOUT
HIS LIFE NOW. AND IT JUST-- HE'S A GUY-- HIS
STORY IS INSPIRATIONAL. BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE
STUFF THAT-- USUALLY YOU'RE DREAMING ABOUT SHOW BUSINESS
YOU'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL TALENT OR LOOK OR SOMETHING. HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE
THINGS. HE'S THIS REGULAR-LOOKING GUY. HIS COMEDY IS SUPER CRUDE. HIS RECORDS ARE SUPER CRUDE. IT'S LIKE, "YOU BELIEVE IN
THIS?" "YEAH, I BELIEVE IN THIS." THAT'S WHAT HIS TALENT WAS. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
IS BELIEVING IN YOUR STUFF. IF YOU BELIEVE IN IT, WHATEVER
IT IS, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT. >> Stephen: MAYBE THAT'S THE
ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO THE 19-YEAR-OLD SELF BECAUSE YOU
JUST GAVE ADVICE TO EVERYBODY. YOU JUST GAVE ADVICE. >> THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO
ME. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
BREAK, BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
MR. EDDIE MURPHY, EVERYBODY. STICK AROUND.
