Eddie Murphy Thinks These Two Flops Are His Worst Movies (And He's Not Wrong)

Unlike most actors, Eddie Murphy didn't have to pay his dues on subpar or forgettable movies when he launched his film career. He came out swinging with "48 Hrs.," and seemingly fired off one classic after another after that. When looking at the best comedies of the 1980s, Murphy's output looms large. However, his filmography started to get a little more inconsistent as the '80s rolled over into the '90s, and his name on a marquee was no longer an automatic sign of quality by the end of that decade — in fact, it started to become something of a punchline.

Murphy isn't shy about badmouthing the films he made during that era that he feels missed the mark. In an August 2025 interview with Complex, Murphy was asked to name his worst movies, and he rather quickly fired off two titles: "Holy Man" and "The Adventures of Pluto Nash." Considering he then went on to praise the critically lambasted "Norbit" — saying there's a lot in that movie he's still proud of and that makes him laugh — that makes his condemnation of those other two movies that much more damning. 

Eddie Murphy revealed in 2003 that he almost played Carter in "Rush Hour," the role that would ultimately go to Chris Tucker. It made sense, as Murphy had already established himself as one of the greats of not only action comedies, but buddy action comedies specifically. But Murphy obviously passed, and Tucker partnered with Jackie Chan for the hugely successful film that is currently at two sequels and counting.

As for why Murphy passed, it's because he chose to make the 1998 comedy "Holy Man" instead. In that film, Murphy stars as G, a mysterious man who suddenly appears to a pair of struggling home shopping channel executives. They decide that G's charisma and his musings on life and happiness would make him a great informercial spokesman — and soon, G has the channel's sales lines ringing off the hook.

Does that sound like a much easier film shoot than Chris Tucker probably had making "Rush Hour"? That's exactly what Murphy assumed, and why he made the choice he made. That, and the fact that "Holy Man" was filmed in warm, sunny Miami. As he told Complex, "It was a no brainer. And we went to Miami and made a horrendous film. But it was easy!" 

It's one thing for a disposable comedy like "Holy Man" to fail. It's another thing entirely for a nine-figure special effects romp released during the summer to be a massive critical and commercial disappointment, as was the case with "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" four years later. It's been argued that the sci-fi comedy ruined Eddie Murphy's career – which might be a bit hyperbolic, especially since he was between "Shrek" and "Shrek 2" at the time. But it was definitely one of the nadirs of Murphy's film output. It also remains Murphy's biggest financial failure, not even cracking $5 million at the domestic box office against a production budget of $100 million. 

Murphy plays the titular character, who runs a nightclub on the moon that is being eyed by lunar gangsters. He refuses to sell, they don't like that, and the misadventures ensue. But none of that matters. What matters is that the movie is terrible, and Murphy is correct to acknowledge that it is one of the worst movies his name has ever been attached to. However, it wasn't the poor reviews or the abysmal box office returns for "Pluto Nash" that really got to Murphy. As he told The New York Times, it was his own son's assessment that cut the deepest. 

"I remember the first time we watched 'Pluto Nash,' I had my son Myles with me. He was probably about eight," Murphy recalled. "Myles is sitting there with me, and the movie's all soft. Then at the end, it goes silent, and my little baby son goes, 'Corny.' That was challenging. Even the baby knows it's corny."