But…why?
It was a historic moment just a month ago when Eddie Murphy returned to the Saturday Night Live stage after decades away from the hit series. His career took off when, and when he joined the current cast of comedians to revive his beloved SNL characters, the series brought in its highest ratings for 2019.
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Now that his memoir Living in Color is available for purchase, The In Living Color star has been enjoying his run around the press circuit as he shares tidbits of interactions that he’s had with other famous figures throughout his career. who liked to bully him. In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, Davidson stated that SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels thought hiring Eddie Murphy was a “mistake.”
“We broke the color barrier with In Living Color, but once the success of In Living Color came, like, look at Foxx now,” Davidson said. “That’ll show you right there. Now, there was the… And we weren’t in there. Not one single picture. Not even my foot. Not even Jennifer [Lopez’s] ass and that’s gon’ be in any frame… So yeah, that was there, because when I broke into the comedy scene, I broke into all the white clubs turning it out. Standing ovations. Killing it.”
He may have been wowing audiences, but he still was being rejected by those with the power to create career shifts. “And what they would tell me is, you’re not the one we want,” he said. “You’re not what we’re looking for. Even with Lorne Michaels, when I came to audition for SNL, he was like, ‘I’m not lookin’ for a black comedian. Eddie Murphy was a mistake.’ I was like… That was supposed to be my audition. And he said, ‘Have a nice day.’ I was like, ‘Whoa, hold on.'”
Davidson added that he didn’t know why Michaels alleged called Murphy a “mistake.” He added, “If you think Eddie was a mistake then what kind of show do you have? He like, saved your show?” Watch Tommy Davidson’s full interview with The Breakfast Club below.
