The 7 Most Outrageous Roles That Eddie Murphy Declined

      Eddie Murphy is widely regarded as one of the funniest and most commercially successful actors of all time.

      However, for every role he accepted, there were many others he turned down.

      Here are seven of the most surprising roles that Eddie Murphy declined.

      **Ghostbusters**

      Eddie Murphy was offered a part in the original 1984 Ghostbusters, but he decided not to take it.

      Dan Aykroyd, co-screenwriter and star, discussed the film with Murphy while they were filming Trading Places. At the time, Murphy remarked that the ghost movie "sounds like a crock ... to me," as he told Extra. He was being considered for the role of Winston Zeddemore, which eventually went to Ernie Hudson — although when Murphy was under consideration, the role was initially intended to have more visibility, according to Vulture.

      In a 2019 interview with Jimmy Fallon, Murphy elaborated on why he was not part of the famed franchise.

      “Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis wanted you to be one of the original Ghostbusters, but you turned it down,” Fallon said.

      “Because I did Beverly Hills Cop,” Murphy explained. “It wasn’t that I turned it down; I just wasn’t available because I was working on another film.”

      **Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home**

      It's well known that Eddie Murphy is a fan of Star Trek and desired to be involved in one of the films.

      In a 2008 interview, Leonard Nimoy confirmed that he had discussions with Murphy about potentially participating in the 1986 film Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

      “I was contacted by Jeff Katzenberg, the head of the studio, while I was preparing for Star Trek IV. I clearly remember his words: ‘I have either the best idea in the world or the worst idea in the world, Eddie Murphy said he would kill to be in a Star Trek movie.’ I replied, ‘I think you are right; it’s either the best or worst idea in the world,’” Nimoy shared with TrekMovie.com.

      He continued: “I had multiple meetings with Mr. Murphy, and I told him: ‘We are quite flattered that you want to be in a Star Trek film, we admire you, you admire us, neither of us wishes to harm the other, so we will work on a script. If we can develop a viable script, we will proceed; if not, we can graciously part ways.’ And that is essentially how it unfolded.”

      Murphy ultimately chose to do 1986's The Golden Child instead of Star Trek IV that year.

      Nimoy added, “I believe he later mentioned he regretted not doing the Star Trek film.”

      During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Murphy explained why he decided against the project.

      “You know which one it was; it was the one where they go to San Francisco and they get the whales… I was supposed to be the character they met when they got to San Francisco, and I thought, ‘No, I want to teleport and be on the ship,’ so I didn’t do it,” he stated, adding, “They had me talking jive to Spock in San Francisco.”

      **Who Framed Roger Rabbit**

      Murphy also recounted to Fallon the only movie he turned down that became a massive success.

      “The sole film I ever turned down that turned into a big hit was Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” Murphy said. “I was going to play the role that Bob Hoskins took. I thought, ‘What? Animation combined with live-action? That sounds ridiculous to me.’”

      However, Murphy now thinks back on that decision with regret.

      “Now, every time I watch it, I feel like a fool,” he remarked.

      **Malcolm X**

      The New York Times reported that Eddie Murphy was once involved in a version of Malcolm X but later withdrew.

      He was among several directors, screenwriters, and actors linked to various iterations of the film over two decades as it sought to get made in Hollywood.

      The Times mentioned that Richard Pryor was also attached, with a variety of screenwriters such as David Mamet, Calder Willingham, David Bradley, and Charles Fuller. Directors like Sidney Lumet and Norman Jewison also showed interest in the project.

      Ultimately, Malcolm X found its way to director Spike Lee and actor Denzel Washington in 1992.

      **Dirty Rotten Scoundrels**

      Eddie Murphy was briefly associated with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which was conceived as a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story starring Marlon Brando and David Niven. The story revolves around two con artists competing to swindle women.

      According to screenwriter Dale Launer, Murphy had watched Bedtime Story and wanted to pursue the remake, as did director Michael Ritchie, who worked with Murphy on The Golden Child in 1986. With both Murphy and Ritchie on board,