Eddie Murphy drops iconic laugh for new Beverly Hills Cop film

Eddie Murphy is back in the spotlight with the fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. 

However, fans might notice a significant change – his iconic laugh is absent. 

In a candid interview with CBR, Murphy shared that he consciously decided to stop using his trademark laugh after it became too iconic following the success of the original 1984 film.

"In the '80s, I was like, 'I don't want to be known for a laugh,'" Murphy explained. 

He pointed out that comedians often imitated him by mimicking his laugh. 

"That's all they did was that laugh… It was like, 'Hey, you know what, I'm going to stop laughing.' I forced myself to stop laughing, which is really an unnatural thing. You laugh, and it's like, 'I have to stop laughing like that.' And now I don't laugh like that anymore."

Despite his efforts, the impression of his laugh had already left an indelible mark. "The impressions, and just… we're making too much of it. Even still!" Murphy added. 

"If you say do an impression, they'll do that laugh. They'll talk like me, and they'll talk like the Donkey [character from Shrek]. If you say, do Eddie Murphy, they talk, 'Hey, how you doing! [Exaggerated laugh] And it's like, that's not me."

Murphy, who has built a legendary career making others laugh, has also found himself on the receiving end of jokes. 

He recalled a quip by David Spade on Saturday Night Live following the failure of his 1995 movie Vampire in Brooklyn.

In the "Hollywood Minute" sketch, Spade showed a picture of Murphy, saying, "Look, children, it's a falling star. Make a wish."

"It was like, 'Hey, hello. This is Saturday Night Live,'" Murphy told The New York Times. "I'm the biggest thing that ever came off that show. 

The show would've been off the air if I didn't go back on the show, and now you have somebody from the cast making a crack about my career?"

Despite the setbacks, Murphy is experiencing a career resurgence. Returning to the role that catapulted him to stardom, he demonstrates that his talent extends far beyond his iconic laugh.