| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 1982 | 48 Hrs. | Reggie Hammond | Film debut |
|---|
| 1983 | Trading Places | Billy Ray Valentine | |
|---|
| 1984 | Best Defense | Lieutenant T. M. Landry | |
|---|
| Beverly Hills Cop | Detective Axel Foley | |
| 1986 | The Golden Child | Chandler Jarrell | |
|---|
| New Jersey Vice | Tubbs | Short film |
| 1987 | Beverly Hills Cop II | Detective Axel Foley | Also story writer |
|---|
| Eddie Murphy Raw | Himself | Stand-up film, Also writer and executive producer |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Prince Akeem Joffer / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul | Also story writer |
|---|
| 1989 | Harlem Nights | Vernest "Quick" Brown | Also writer, executive producer and director |
|---|
| 1990 | Another 48 Hrs. | Reggie Hammond | Also story writer, Credited as Fred Braughton |
|---|
| 1992 | Boomerang | Marcus Graham | Also story writer |
|---|
| The Distinguished Gentleman | Thomas Jefferson Johnson | |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills Cop III | Detective Axel Foley | |
|---|
| 1995 | Vampire in Brooklyn | Maximillian / Preacher Pauly / Guido | Also story writer and producer |
|---|
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Various roles | |
|---|
| 1997 | Metro | Insp. Scott Roper | |
|---|
| 1998 | Mulan | Mushu | Voice |
|---|
| Dr. Dolittle | Dr. John Dolittle | |
| Holy Man | G | |
| 1999 | Life | Rayford "Ray" Gibson | Also producer |
|---|
| Bowfinger | Kit Ramsey / Jiffrenson "Jiff" Ramsey | |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Various roles | Also executive producer |
|---|
| 2001 | Shrek | Donkey | Voice |
|---|
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Dr. John Dolittle | |
| 2002 | Showtime | Officer Trey Sellers | |
|---|
| The Adventures of Pluto Nash | Pluto Nash / Rex Crater | |
| I Spy | Kelly Robinson | |
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Charles "Charlie" Hinton | |
|---|
| The Haunted Mansion | Jim Evers | |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | Donkey | Voice |
|---|
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | James "Thunder" Early | |
|---|
| 2007 | Norbit | Norbit Albert Rice / Rasputia Latimore / Mr. Wong | Also writer and producer |
|---|
| Shrek the Third | Donkey | Voice |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Dave / Captain | |
|---|
| 2009 | Imagine That | Evan Danielson | |
|---|
| Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Himself | Documentary |
| 2010 | Shrek Forever After | Donkey | Voice |
|---|
| 2011 | Tower Heist | Darnell ("Slide") Davis | Also producer |
|---|
| 2012 | A Thousand Words | Jack McCall | |
|---|
| 2016 | Mr. Church | Henry Joseph Church | |
|---|
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Rudy Ray Moore | Also producer |
|---|
| 2021 | Coming 2 America | Prince Akeem Joffer / Clarence / Randy Watson / Saul |
|---|
| 2023 | You People | Akbar Mohammed | |
|---|
| Candy Cane Lane | Christopher Jack "Chris" Carver | Also producer |
| 2024 | Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F | Inspector Axel Foley |
|---|
| 2025 | The Pickup | Russell Pierce |
|---|
| Being Eddie | Himself | Documentary |
| 2027 | Shrek 5† | Donkey | Voice,In production |
|---|
