Eddie Murphy Says Robin Williams Question His Oscars Speech

Source: Christopher Polk / Getty

Eddie Murphy has been making the rounds to promote his Netflix documentary, Being Eddie, and in the process, he pulled back the curtains on a moment he shared with a fellow comedy legend. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy recalled preparing his speech when he was tapped to present an award at the 1988 Oscars, and Robin Williams disagreed with his idea of mentioning that the Oscars didn’t acknowledge Black actors.

“I remember being with Robin Williams backstage. I was like, ‘I’m gonna say this.’ And he goes to me, like, ‘But why go there?’” He continued, “I was like, ‘Oh, you don’t think it’s funny?’ It was more, is it funny? Rather than it’s controversial. I was trying to be funny and say a little something, but be funny too. Have a little edge to what I said.” 27 years old at the time of the ceremony, Murphy admits that he didn’t think about the blowback he could receive when taking a stab at the academy while presenting on their stage, saying he was “just trying to be funny in the moment and I wanted what I was saying to be relevant.” Back in 1988, before presenting the Best Picture award to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, he made his feelings known to the audience, explaining why he had initially turned down the invitation.

“I’m not going because they haven’t recognized Black people in motion pictures,” Murphy told the audience. “And I’ll probably never win an Oscar for saying this, but hey, what the hey, I gotta say it. Actually, I might not be in any trouble because the way it’s been going is about every 20 years we get one, so we ain’t due to about 2004. So by that time, this will all be blown over.” Before listing off the nominees, Murphy ended the speech saying, “Black people will not ride the caboose of society, and we will not bring up the rear anymore. And I want you to recognize us,” Murphy’s speech concluded. It seems like Murphy was nearly thirty years early to the #OscarsSoWhite party. See the reaction to the Williams interaction below.