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Eddie Murphy Reveals Why He Left Oscars Early After Dreamgirls Loss

Eddie Murphy has clarified his early departure from the 2007 Oscars was a calm decision to avoid spending the entire evening receiving sympathy after losing Best Supporting Actor. He revealed he anticipated Alan Arkin's win months in advance after seeing *Little Miss Sunshine*. Murphy emphasized his exit was not driven by anger or disappointment toward his *Dreamgirls* co-stars. He concluded that winning an Oscar involves intangible factors like campaigning and that the late Alan Arkin was a wholly deserving winner.

Key Points: Eddie Murphy Explains Early Oscars Exit After 2007 Loss

  • Left to avoid sympathy pats
  • Anticipated Alan Arkin's win
  • Denied being angry or impulsive
  • Calls Oscars "more art than science"
  • Praises Arkin as deserving
3 min read

Eddie Murphy explains early exit from Oscars after 'Dreamgirls' loss

Eddie Murphy clarifies he calmly left the Oscars to avoid a night of sympathy after losing Best Supporting Actor for Dreamgirls to Alan Arkin.

"I'm not gonna be the sympathy guy all night. - Eddie Murphy"

Washington, DC, January 4

Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy has clarified the reasons behind his early departure from the 79th Academy Awards ceremony in 2007 after losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the musical drama 'Dreamgirls', saying he wanted to avoid spending the rest of the evening receiving sympathy over the outcome, according to People.

Murphy, now 64, was considered one of the strongest contenders that year and had swept several major awards during the season for his portrayal of singer James "Thunder" Early in the musical drama. However, the Academy Award ultimately went to veteran actor Alan Arkin for his role as Edwin Hoover in 'Little Miss Sunshine'.

While promoting his Netflix documentary 'Being Eddie', Murphy addressed the long-standing speculation surrounding his exit from the Oscars ceremony, clarifying that it was not an emotional or impulsive reaction to losing the award. Instead, he said the decision was calm and deliberate.

"What happened was I was at the Oscars, I had lost, and then people kept coming over to me and kept [patting] me on the shoulder," Murphy told Entertainment Weekly while chatting about his Netflix documentary, Being Eddie, as reported by People.

"Clint Eastwood came and rubbed my shoulder. And I was like, 'Oh, no, no, I'm not gonna be this guy all night. Let's just leave'," he recalled. "I didn't storm out. I was like, 'I'm not gonna be the sympathy guy all night'," he added.

Murphy also addressed rumours that he skipped celebrating with his Dreamgirls co-stars, including Jennifer Hudson, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress that night and that he missed the film's musical performance. He emphasised that his departure had nothing to do with anger, disappointment or resentment.

The actor revealed that he had anticipated Arkin's win months before the ceremony, after watching Little Miss Sunshine at a private screening. "Now that performance right there is one of those performances that will steal somebody's Oscar," Murphy recalled telling producer Jeff Katzenberg at the time. "Then he stole mine," Murphy joked, before adding, "No, I don't feel like he stole mine."

The Coming 2 America actor told EW that, since his Oscar nomination, he has learned that winning the prestigious film award is "more art than science."

"It's not like, 'Oh, you do this, and you do that, and you win the Oscar.' No, it's all this intangible stuff that comes with winning: campaigning and your past stuff and what do they owe you and s---. All of that stuff comes into play when you get Oscars," he explained, as quoted by People.

Murphy concluded by saying that Alan Arkin, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 89, was a deserving winner, describing him as "an amazing actor" whose long and distinguished career merited the honour.

Murphy's documentary 'Being Eddie' is currently streaming on Netflix, according to People.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
His performance in Dreamgirls was iconic! But Alan Arkin was a legend. Murphy's right, Oscars are about more than just the performance. It's about the whole narrative. Still, wish he had stayed for Jennifer Hudson's moment. That must have been awkward for her.
D
David E
The image of Clint Eastwood patting his shoulder is both funny and sad. I get why he left. Who wants to be the "pity project" for the whole Hollywood elite? Smart move to just exit gracefully.
A
Aman W
His comment about Oscars being "more art than science" and involving campaigning is so true. Reminds me of our own award shows sometimes. The most deserving doesn't always win, but the one with the better "story" or connections might. 🤷‍♂️
S
Sarah B
It shows a lot of maturity to clarify this now and speak so respectfully about Alan Arkin. Class act. Many actors would still be bitter. Looking forward to watching his documentary on Netflix!
K
Karthik V
While I understand his feelings, as a professional at a major event, perhaps he could have shown a bit more grace and stayed to support his team. His co-star was winning that night! A small criticism, but otherwise, his perspective is very relatable.

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