The Eddie Murphy Netflix documentary arrives November 12, 2025, and for once, it’s not Eddie hiding behind Axel Foley, Prince Akeem, or Donkey. In fact, the documentary is called Being Eddie. Netflix has packaged the project as a two-hour feature that traces Murphy’s career from teenage Saturday Night Live phenom to international movie star, while finally giving audiences access to the man behind the iconic characters.
What Fans Can Expect from the Eddie Murphy Netflix Documentary
Directed by two-time Oscar winner Angus Wall, the film promises more than a parade of greatest hits. Yes, we’ll see Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and Shrek, but the draw is the quiet material. Murphy uses his screentime to get real, reflecting on fame, failures, and the relentless pressure to stay relevant in Hollywood.
According to Netflix, the project includes candid home footage and personal interviews, highlight Murphy’s vulnerability. This is a side of him rarely seen by the public, and that’s the hook. Plenty of comedians can make us laugh, but few let us see the cost of being funny for four straight decades.
A Guest List That Reads Like a Comedy Hall of Fame
The Eddie Murphy Netflix documentary doesn’t let the comedian carry the story alone. Friends, foes, and proteges weigh in, including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Arsenio Hall.
Their presence does more than flatter Murphy. It places him within comedy’s larger lineage. Rock has said that Murphy proved comedians could make headling Hollywood blockbusters. Chappelle calls him fearless. Foxx and Hart point to him as the blueprint for their careers. Together, their voices underscore how far Murphy’s influence reaches.
A Career Built on Highs, Lows, and Reinvention
What makes the story worth telling now is the full arc. Murphy skyrocketed at 19 with SNL, redefined ‘80s comedy with Delirious and Raw, then conquered the box office with films like 48 Hrs. and Trading Places. But there were valleys too. The Adventures of Pluto Nash remains infamous as one of Hollywood’s most expensive flops.
The Eddie Murphy Netflix documentary acknowledges those bumps while celebrating the comebacks. His Golden Globe-winning turn in Dreamgirls proved his dramatic chops. Netflix’s own Dolemite Is My Name in 2019 reminded the world he could still reinvent himself. And with 2024’s Beverly Hills Cops: Axel F, Murphy proved nostalgia and new energy can mix when he’s in control.
Why Now
Murphy wasn’t just another movie star. In the 1980s, he was one of the few Black performers to dominate the global box office, opening doors that Hollywood had long kept closed. His success reshaped how studios thought about casting, marketing, and the economics of comedy.
The Eddie Murphy Netflix documentary has the chance to show how his career intersects with and influences bigger cultural shifts. Ergo, this documentary will be more than entertainment. It’s a story rooted in representation, risk, and resilience.
The timing feels deliberate since Murphy is still active, not retired. He has new projects in the works and is once again a fixture in Hollywood films. By releasing the documentary now, Netflix positions him as a living legend, not a eulogized figure. That distinction matters because it means Eddie Murphy himself gets to frame his legacy, in his words, with the humor and honesty only he can deliver.
The Takeaway: More Than Comedy
The Eddie Murphy Netflix documentary won’t make fans just laugh at old punchlines (though those will be in there too). Fans will see the man who built modern comedy, reflecting on how he stumbled, reinvented, and kept climbing.
With candid interviews, heavyweight testimonials, and Murphy finally stepping out from behind his characters, Netflix is promising a film that is both revealing and entertaining.