Charlie Murphy

Charlie Murphy Headshot

Comedian

Birth Date: July 12, 1959

Death Date: April 12, 2017

Birth Place: New York City, New York

Siblings: Eddie Murphy

Charlie Murphy may have followed in the footsteps of his younger brother Eddie Murphy by going into a career in standup comedy, but he charted his own path, and gained unexpected fame thanks to some classic bits on "Chappelle's Show" (Comedy Central, 2003-06). Born on July 12, 1959, in Brooklyn, NY, Murphy had a rough and tumble upbringing. Murphy served ten months in prison as a teenager for a number of gang-related offenses, then joined the U.S. Navy soon after his release. While working as a boiler technician overseas, Murphy personally witnessed the Beirut barracks bombing of 1983, which claimed the lives of 307 people. When Murphy got back to the states, his younger brother, Eddie Murphy was on his way to becoming a bona fide superstar. Eddie cast Charlie in small roles in a number of his films, including "Harlem Nights" (1989), "Vampire in Brooklyn" (1995), and "Norbit" (2007), and also made him a permanent part of his entourage, which would come into play for Charlie in a big way later on. Murphy caught a big break when he became a cast member on "Chappelle's Show," appearing in sketches that utilized his imposing physique and menacing demeanor to great comedic effect. However, Murphy truly became a household name thanks to the infamous "Rick James" sketch, in which Murphy told a number of hilarious, too strange for fiction tales of hanging out with the troubled "Super Freak" singer at the height of his popularity in the 80s. The sketch ignited a cultural zeitgeist, and Murphy suddenly found his own name turned into a catchphrase. A similar sketch about a game of pickup basketball with Prince was also a hit, and showed that Murphy was an innately gifted storyteller. After "Chappelle's Show" ended in 2006, Murphy was still highly in demand, performing standup all over the world and appearing in a number of films, including "King's Ransom" (2005), "Roll Bounce" (2005), and "Night at the Museum" (2006). Murphy went through a tragic setback in 2009, when his wife of over ten years, Tisha Taylor Murphy, died of cervical cancer. Murphy pressed on, releasing a standup special through entitled "Charlie Murphy: I Will Not Apologize" (Comedy Central 2010) the very next year. On April 12, 2017, Charlie Murphy died at the age of 57, due to complications from leukemia.

Credits

The Comedy Get Down

Actor
Show
2017

Black & Blue

Self
Show
2016

Meet the BlacksStream

Actor
Key Flo
Movie
2016
17%

Black JesusStream

Actor
Series
2014

PowerStream

Guest Star
Marshal Clyde Williams
Series
2014
81%

The Arsenio Hall Show

Guest
Show
2013

Who Gets the Last Laugh?

Guest Star
Show
2013

Mo'Nique Show: Extras

Actor
Show
2013

A Saturday Is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Actor
Sensei
Movie
2013

Moving Day

Actor
Cedrick
Movie
2012

The Cookout 2

Actor
Coach Ashmokeem
Movie
2011

Hawaii Five-0Stream

Guest Star
Series
2010

Freaknik: The Musical

Voice
Al Sharpton/Perminator
Show
2010

Our Family WeddingStream

Actor
Brad's Friend
Movie
2010
15%

Lottery Ticket

Actor
David Semaj
Movie
2010

Lopez Tonight

Guest
Show
2009

Frankenhood

Actor
Franklin
Movie
2009

Living Legends of Comedy: Real Talk

Actor
Show
2008

Pauly Shore's Natural Born Komics

Actor
Show
2008

The Hustle

Actor
Junior Walker
Movie
2008

Morning Cup

Actor
Show
2007

We Got to Do Better

Host
Show
2007

NorbitStream

Writer
Movie
2007
9%

The Perfect Holiday

Actor
J-Jizzy
Movie
2007

Unearthed

Actor
Hank
Movie
2007

Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe

Actor
Griss
Movie
2007

Universal Remote

Actor
Various
Movie
2007

Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen

Guest
Talk
2006

Night at the MuseumStream

Actor
Taxi Driver
Movie
2006
43%

Lovesick

Actor
Damian
Movie
2005

King's RansomStream

Actor
Herb Clarke
Movie
2005
2%

Roll Bounce

Actor
Victor
Movie
2005

Paper Soldiers

Writer
Movie
2002

One on OneStream

Guest Star
Series
2001

106 & Park: BET's Top 10 Live

Guest
Show
2000

The Pompatus of Love

Actor
Saxophone Man
Movie
1995

Vampire in BrooklynStream

Screenwriter
Movie
1995
12%

CB4

Actor
Gusto
Movie
1993

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