Throughout the course of his decades-spanning career, Eddie Murphy has headlined massive movies, to say the least. From 48 Hrs. and Trading Places to Shrek and Dreamgirls, Murphy truly has some impressive credits in his filmography. What’s even wilder is that had circumstances worked out in different ways, the Oscar nominee could’ve had even more marquee titles under his belt. Among the projects that got away is Ghostbusters and, while it stinks that Murphy couldn’t be involved, I understand why he passed on the project.
Eddie Murphy was in rarified air in the ‘80s, at which point he rose to prominence as a bonafide movie star. So, at the time, he was in a position in which he was not only offered a plethora of projects, but he also had the ability to turn them down if he so chose. During an interview with the Associated Press – which was shared to Instagram – Murphy recalled passing up Ghostbusters. Murphy also name-dropped a beloved ‘80s fantasy flick and a great ‘90s buddy comedy while talking about missed opportunities:
