Eddie Murphy launched his career with Saturday Night Live, but a David Spade gag made him boycott the show for two decades. Eddie Murphy was only 19 when he first joined SNL in 1980, and he soon proved to be a major hit with viewers thanks to sketches like "Buckwheat" or "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood." In 1982 he made his movie debut in 48 Hrs and quickly became a bona fide movie star thanks to follow-up movies like Beverly Hills Cop.
Like most major stars, Eddie Murphy has had dips during his career. Following a series of box-office disappointments in the early 1990s like Beverly Hills Cop III and Vampire In Brooklyn, he moved to more family-friendly projects like the Shrek franchise. During the 2000s he again appeared in a series of movies that met with little critical or commercial success, including The Adventures Of Plato Nash.
Eddie Murphy became a major draw for Saturday Night Live during this time as a cast member and is credited with helping save it from cancellation during a rough period. One particularly infamous incident between the star and SNL came in 1995 when cast member David Spade took a shot at Murphy on his recurring "Hollywood Minute" sketch. In response to flops like Vampire In Brooklyn, this skit featured Murphy's old SNL cast member picture from his tenure on the show, and saw Spade throw the zinger “Look, kids, a falling star! Quick, make a wish... ”
Eddie Murphy was not pleased with this jab, calling David Spade the following Monday to chew him out over it. According to Spade - who admitted to being a huge fan of the actor - Murphy was angry about the show taking a shot at his career during a low point, especially after all Murphy had down to make Saturday Night Live a success. The star also felt bad the joke must have gone through other producers and creator Lorne Michaels before it aired. For this reason, Murphy refused to appear or host the show in the years that followed.
A hint that this feud was defrosting came in 2015 when Eddie Murphy made a brief guest appearance during the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special. The actor has since made peace with Spade, and in recent years has made a movie comeback too with the likes of Dolemite Is My Name and forthcoming sequel Coming 2 America. Saturday Night Live season 45 episode 10 finally saw the long-awaited Eddie Murphy SNL return too, marking his first time hosting since 1984; his return was greeted with praise.