STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Pete Davidson is once again opening up about the impact Eddie Murphy has had on his life and career. This time, it’s in Murphy’s new Netflix documentary, “Being Eddie,” which premiered Wednesday.
The Staten Island native appears briefly in the 1-hour, 43-minute film, alongside fellow comedians like Dave Chappelle, Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock, sharing personal memories of how Murphy helped shape his love of comedy, and even helped him heal.
“I was a huge Eddie Murphy fan … ‘cause of, you know, “Shrek,” “Dolittle” and all this stuff when I was like 8,” Davidson says in the film, wearing a black “Staten Island, New York” hoodie. “And my dad died on 9/11. My mom took me to this store in the mall that had DVDs and CDs, and Eddie Murphy “Delirious” was there. And I was like, ‘What’s this? He looks really cool, and this could be fun.’”
Davidson goes on to recall the first time he watched Murphy’s stand-up special in the family’s old Suburban.
“Immediately, you know, ‘F— this, suck this…’ you know, ‘F— you.’ And my mom’s like, ‘Whoa, what’d you get?’ And I was dying laughing,” he says. “I think she saw I was enjoying myself and at a time where I really wasn’t. And she was like, “You can watch this stuff as long as you don’t repeat it or tell anybody.” And it was kind of a little pact we made. And that opened me to everything.”
It’s a story Davidson has told before. During a September appearance on “The Breakfast Club” radio show, he revealed that Murphy himself had seen that clip, and it directly led to Davidson being cast opposite him in the 2025 action-comedy “The Pickup.”
“I got sent the script and I didn’t read it ‘cause I just saw Eddie Murphy’s doing this,” Davidson said at the time. “He’s such a star, you know, like there’s very few stars left.”
That admiration runs throughout “Being Eddie,” where Davidson speaks as a collaborator and a lifelong fan still in awe of Murphy’s commitment to his craft.
“It is at least four hours plus in makeup each time you gotta put that character on,” Davidson says of Murphy’s iconic multi-role performances. “There’s a reason why no one else does them. Like, no comic wants to do that s—. He wants to do that s—.”
Davidson also reflects on Murphy’s more laid-back side, sharing behind-the-scenes moments on “The Pickup” set.
“Anytime I would come to set, he’s just blasting music and vibing, and everyone gets really, really excited,” Davidson says. “I love it. I love that he’s sitting around watching ‘Ridiculousness.’ That’s f—ing hilarious. That’s so funny.”
And, of course, Davidson had to pay tribute to the character that first introduced Murphy to his generation: “Eddie Murphy Donkey … It’s one of the greatest performances of all time,” he says. “Like him going, ‘I’m making waffles.’ Like, all that s— is hilarious.”
“Being Eddie” is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the official trailer below.
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