Eddie Murphy: I'm Too Old To Be A Rebel

Eddie Murphy just can't say "no" to family comedies. He's going PG again in Imagine That, playing a Wall Street exec who gets winning financial advice from his daughter's imaginary friends. Fortunately, none of them bear any resemblance to Bernie Madoff.

Eddie revealed to Jeanne Wolf that, no matter what he's doing, he still keeps the nutty comedic edge that made him a star.

Remembering his imaginary friends.
"I spent a lot of time watching television and I would do impressions of all the cartoon characters off the TV. I was the young Rich Little. I was doing voices really young from like when I was three or four. Finally, my mother would say, 'That's wonderful dear, but I think it's time for you to be Eddie for awhile.'"

Being a grown-up without losing his inner Eddie.
"I'm such a square, but I'm supposed to be. I'm 48, and you're supposed to be the square. I mean being a 48-year-old rebel is not cool. The one thing that's remained consistent is my sense of humor, which has always been unique. But, I'm older than I was and I could never give off whatever I used to give off when, you know, I had on a red leather suit on stage talking s—. I'll never be that guy again. But, at the same time, I've never stopped being that person. It's just that I'm an adult now."

Not apologizing for yet another PG comedy.
"I'm just trying to do all different types of things. I don't feel like I've made a transition to more family stuff. I feel like I've always, from the beginning, just done different types of things. I jumped over cars and shot my gun, and I cursed, and I did all kinds of stuff. But, I like that my kids and families can go see some of my movies too. Would I ever do action comedy or play a cop? Of course, but does it have to be Beverly Hills Cop 4? Not necessarily."

W.C. Fields was right.
"It's like everybody knows that line about not working with children and animals. I've done both, and I don't necessarily disagree. Kids need to just be kids, so sometimes it's kind of hard to get the work done on a film set. And, they also are scene-stealers. Like in this movie, Yara Shahidi, who plays my daughter, would steal every scene. I'm good, but I'm not as cute. All jokes aside, she is going to be acting for a thousand years. She is one of the most talented little actresses ever."

Still figuring it all out.
"I think the more I learn, the less I know. Does that make sense? That sounds like a lyric to a song. Who sang that? John Lennon. 'The more that I see, the less that I know for sure.'"

By Jeanne Wolf