Critics' Choice Awards 2020: Eddie Murphy jokes about 'spaceship' role in Lifetime Achievement Award speech
Eddie Murphy won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to cinema for three decades on Sunday, January 12 at the Critics' Choice Awards. Tagging him as the “most commercially successful African-American actor” in film history, the Critics’ Choice Association said he is on the “short list” of actors who’ve starred in numerous $100 million pictures over the past three decades.
The 58-year-old actor accepted the trophy and said in an emotional speech, “I’ve been making movies, next year will be 40 years. Being able to make a living as an actor is a privilege and a blessing. To make your living making people laugh, you’re the luckiest person in the world to be able to do that.”
Joking about all his characters, he added with a laugh, "I've played everything, I've been a cop and a robber and a doctor and a professor, I've played different ethnicities, I've been animals, I've been a donkey. I even played a spaceship once. When young actors come up to me on the street and they say, 'Do you have any advice?' I say, 'Never play a spaceship.'"
The actor played a spaceship in the 2008 science fiction film 'Meet Dave'.
No sooner did he clinch the trophy, than fans began expressing their joy. "Eddie Murphy 's career achievement award is a great homage indeed. Even though, I'd love to see him get 'best actor' award for Dolemite somewhere. He was amazing at that role! Great film!" one fan wrote and another said, "All the props to the team who scoured Eddie Murphy's Raw for the two words they could actually put in the highlight reel. You're the true heroes. #CriticsChoiceAwards."
One viewer said, "Congrats Eddie Murphy! Well deserved! I'm a fan of his work! #DolemiteIsMyName is a great movie! Eddie Murphy is hilarious!!!" and another posted, "I don’t care what nobody has to say....Eddie Murphy will be the only Dolittle I acknowledge..."
Last year December, the comedian made a remarkable return to 'Saturday Night Live' as a host and brought several memorable characters back to the show from his time as a cast member. Earlier in 2007, the actor won the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his role as James “Thunder” Early in 'Dreamgirls' and this year, he was also nominated in the category of Best Actor for his role of Rudy Ray Moore in Netflix’s 'Dolemite Is My Name'.