| Charlie Murphy | |
|---|---|
 Murphy in 2009 | |
| Birth name | Charles Quinton Murphy |
| Born | (1959-07-12)July 12, 1959 New York City, U.S.[1] |
| Died | April 12, 2017(2017-04-12) (aged 57) New York City, U.S. |
| Medium |
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| Years active | 1980–2017 |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relative(s) | Eddie Murphy (brother) |
Charles Quinton Murphy (July 12, 1959 – April 12, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was best known as a writer and cast member of theComedy Central sketch-comedy seriesChappelle's Show as well as the co-star of the sitcomBlack Jesus. He was the older brother of actor and comedianEddie Murphy.
Murphy was born on July 12, 1959, in theNew York City borough ofBrooklyn.[2] His mother Lillian Murphy was a telephone operator and his father, Charles Edward Murphy, was atransit police officer, actor, and comedian.[3]
As an adolescent, Murphy spent ten months in jail.[4] In 1978 on the day of his release,[5] he enlisted in theUnited States Navy and served for six years as aboiler technician.[6]
Murphy made his first film appearance in the 1970 comedy-drama filmThe Landlord. The film was shot in a neighborhood where Murphy lived and he appears in a brief scene as a boy stealing hubcaps. Murphy had minor roles in several films in the late 1980s and early 1990s and worked behind the scenes with hip hop group K-9 Posse, a duo composed of his half-brother Vernon Lynch Jr. and Wardell Mahone. On their 1988 self-titled debut, Murphy was credited as the album'sexecutive producer as well as songwriter on "Somebody's Brother" and "Say Who Say What."[7] He also made an appearance in the video for the duo's first single, "This Beat Is Military."[8] Murphy's first major role in a motion picture was in the 1993 filmCB4, playing the antagonist Gusto.
Murphy gained national attention as a recurring performer onChappelle's Show, particularly in theCharlie Murphy's True Hollywood Storiessketches. In these, Murphy recounts his misadventures as part of his brother's entourage, including encounters with various celebrities such asRick James andPrince.[9][10] AfterChappelle's Show hostDave Chappelle left the show, Murphy andDonnell Rawlings hosted the "lost episodes" compiled from sketches produced before his departure.
In 2005, he appeared inKing's Ransom (alongsideAnthony Anderson andJay Mohr). In the film, Murphy portrayed Herb, a gay ex-con who is hired by King (Anderson) to fake his kidnapping.[11] Murphy also didvoiceovers forBudweiser radio commercials, provided the voice for Iraq War veteran/criminalEd Wuncler III onCartoon Network'sAdult Swim seriesThe Boondocks, and the voice for apimp named Jizzy-B inGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas and as an albino Black graffiti artist named White Mike inMarc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Murphy provided the voice forSpock on theG4TV'sStar Trek 2.0 shorts, and the dog in his younger brother Eddie's 2007 film,Norbit.[12]
On March 20, 2009, he began his own sketch comedy seriesCharlie Murphy's Crash Comedy onCrackle.[13] A stand-up special,Charlie Murphy: I Will Not Apologize premiered onComedy Central in late February 2010.[14]Murphy also made special appearances in1000 Ways to Die and the TBS sitcomAre We There Yet? as Frank Kingston. In 2014–15, Murphy played Vic on the Adult Swim live-action showBlack Jesus.[15]
Murphy was a resident ofTewksbury Township, New Jersey.[16] He was married to Tisha Taylor Murphy from 1997 until her death fromcervical cancer in December 2009.[1] The couple had two children together, and Murphy had a child from a previous relationship.[1] He was akarate practitioner.[17][18]
Murphy died fromleukemia on April 12, 2017, at age 57 inNew York City, New York.[19][20][21]
The third-season premiere ofBlack Jesus and his brother's film,Dolemite Is My Name, were dedicated to Murphy. Murphy was the one who piqued his brother's interest in the biopic's subject,Rudy Ray Moore.[22]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Harlem Nights | Jimmy The Muffin Man[23] | |
| 1990 | Mo' Better Blues | Eggy[24] | |
| 1991 | Jungle Fever | Livin' Large[24] | |
| 1993 | CB4 | Gusto[25] | |
| 1996 | The Pompatus of Love | Saxophone Man[24] | |
| 1998 | The Players Club | Brooklyn[24] | |
| 1999 | Unconditional Love | Detective | |
| 2002 | Paper Soldiers | Johnson[24] | Also writer |
| 2003 | Death of a Dynasty | Dick James/Dukey Man/Sock Head[24] | |
| 2005 | Lovesick | Damian | |
| 2005 | King's Ransom | Herb Clarke[24] | |
| 2005 | Roll Bounce | Victor[24] | |
| 2006 | Night at the Museum | Taxi Driver[24] | Cameo |
| 2007 | Three Days to Vegas | Andre[24] | |
| 2007 | Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe | Griss[26] | |
| 2007 | Norbit | Lloyd the Dog[24][27] | Voice cameo |
| 2007 | Unearthed | Hank[24] | |
| 2007 | Twisted Fortune | Angel Robbins | |
| 2007 | Universal Remote | Various | |
| 2007 | The Perfect Holiday | J-Jizzy[24] | |
| 2008 | Bar Starz | Clay the Doorman/Arnie[24] | |
| 2008 | The Hustle | Junior Walker | |
| 2009 | Frankenhood | Franklin[24] | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | T.J.[28] | |
| 2010 | Lottery Ticket | Semaj[29] | |
| 2012 | Moving Day | Cedric[30] | |
| 2016 | Meet the Blacks | Key Flo[31] | Final film role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Kid Who Loved Christmas | TV movie | |
| 1995 | Martin | Big Bro | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Murder was the Case: The Movie | JC | Direct-to-video |
| 2003–2006 | Chappelle's Show | Various | 14 episodes, also writer |
| 2004 | One on One | Senator Larry Eldrige | |
| 2005 | Denis Leary's Merry F#%$in' Christmas | Himself | TV special |
| 2005–2010 | The Boondocks | Ed Wuncler III (voice)[32] | 10 episodes |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | Big Kid (voice) | TV movie |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Roc's Street | Big Kid (voice) | TV movie |
| 2006 | Wild 'n Out | Himself | |
| 2007 | Beef IV | Himself/narrator (voice) | Video documentary |
| 2007 | We Got to Do Better | Host | Unknown episodes |
| 2007 | Pauly Shore's Natural Born Komics | Himself | Direct-to-video |
| 2009 | Nite Tales: The Series | Samson | Episode: "Pill Time" |
| 2010 | Freaknik: The Musical | Al Sharpton,[33] Perminator (voice) | TV movie |
| 2010 | Charlie Murphy: I Will Not Apologize | Himself | Video documentary |
| 2010 | Lopez Tonight | Himself | |
| 2010–2012 | Are We There Yet? | Frank Kingston | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | 1000 Ways to Die | Himself | Episode: "Today's Menu: Deep Fried Death" |
| 2011 | The Cookout 2 | Coach Ashmokeem | TV film |
| 2012–2014 | Black Dynamite | A Cat Named Rollo (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Don McKinney | |
| 2014–2015 | Black Jesus | Vic[24] | Main cast; 21 episodes |
| 2016 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Vrax Belebome / Bellybomb (voice)[34] | Episode: "Journey to the Center of Mikey's Mind" |
| 2017 | Power | Marshal Clyde Williams | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | The Comedy Get Down | Himself | Posthumous release; 5 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Jizzy B.[32] | |
| 2006 | Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure | White Mike[32] | |
| 2021 | Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition | Jizzy B.[32] | Archival recordings Remaster ofGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas only. |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Murder Was the Case | JC |
On the spur of the moment, for what in our minds amounted to nothing more than a lark, we decided to rob the driver at gunpoint. [...] I was charged as a youthful offender on my first offense and handed three years' probation. [...] [I]n the third year I was arrested for petit larceny, loitering, and a few other misdemeanors. Taken all together, the crimes were a violation of my probation. [...] I was sentenced to serve out the remainder of my probation in Nassau County Jail. I was going away for ten months.
I got out on a Monday and I signed up for the Navy the same day.
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