Eddie Murphy once again proved why he's a comedy legend as he didn't waste the chance to crack a timely joke when he won the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night.
He noted that he has been in show business for 46 years and 41 years in the movie industry. The "Beverly Hills Cop" actor thanked his friends, family, agent, and producers, followed by some advice to others who want to "achieve success, prosperity, and peace of mind" as he did.
CNN reports Eddie Murphy remarked that "there's a definitive blueprint" for the path to success: "It's very simple. There's three things: pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith's wife's name out your f***ing mouth!"
It was a reference to the Will Smith Oscars Slap on presenter Chris Rock at last year's ceremonies after Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock, 57, poked fun at Jada's shorn head at the Oscars in March. Smith, 54, yelled from his front-row seat as Rock began his performance, "Keep my wife's name out your f--ing mouth!"
The 51-year-old actress has alopecia, and Will Smith subsequently said in a statement that the joke was "too much" for him "to handle" and that he reacted "emotionally" to it, per People.
In a video posted on social media in July, Smith expressed regret for his treatment of Rock. In November, he discussed the Will Smith Oscars Slap much more thoroughly on The Daily Show. He resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was barred from its programs for 10 years.
Just for Fun
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the Golden Globes, Eddie Murphy discussed his achievement and briefly mentioned the joke that made headlines.
Eddie Murphy noted that he had worked with Jada Pinkett-Smith before. "I love Will, and I love Chris, and it's all love."
Considering that Murphy and Pinkett Smith had previously collaborated on "The Nutty Professor" in 1996, it's safe to assume that the joke was framed positively.
In addition to expressing his gratitude for receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the "Coming to America" actor also expressed his excitement at the honor.
Then he elaborated: "It is an honor to get such recognition. And like I said, when you receive stuff like this when you're older, you appreciate it more," per an Insider report.
Much Love for the Comedy Legend
Celebrities were spotted laughing uncontrollably following Murphy's joke, and they gave the actor a big round of applause as he departed the stage.
Some viewers took their reaction to Eddie Murphy Golden Globe joke to social media, posting that he would be the "only person" to crack a joke about the Will Smith incident that "was actually funny."
One user commented that Eddie Murphy "stole the show. A legend forever."
Murphy was not the only one to refer to Smith's slapping incident at the Golden Globes, though.
During the program, as per the New York Post, presenter Jerrod Carmichael joked that during the commercial, Will Smith was awarded the Rock Hudson Award for "best portrayal of masculinity on television."
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