There is a long tradition in Hollywood that “serious actors” are seen as those who do drama, while comedy actors are often dismissed as an inferior species of entertainer. Coming 2 America Director Craig Brewer has recently entered the debate, particularly regarding Eddie murphy, whom Brewer believes doesn’t get enough credit for his comedy roles because he makes everything seem too easy.
“It really bothers me. And I feel like it’s even more forced on Eddie because the problem I think people have with Eddie is that they think he’s easy for him. I’m sure there are a lot of things in Eddie’s life that feel easy. “. . But what people don’t know is what I see, which is him sitting in his chair, wearing makeup, playing music, he is getting into a place, he is rehearsing these lines, you see him where he does not cheat on set. When you’re between takes, he goes to his chair and you watch him go into this trance where he’s working and working and working. There are crafts there. And I’m worried that people would think that like, ‘Oh well, Eddie just shows up and he’s being funny, like he always has. And that is simply not true. Yeah, he’s introducing himself and he’s very funny, but it’s not like he’s just flipping a switch. “
For a long time, Murphy was considered a monster in the world of comedy, and he effortlessly came up with an endless parade of characters in Saturday night liveand later in his movies. The nutty professor in particular, it stands out for having Murphy playing a variety of very disparate characters, all in the same scene.
And yet the few times Murphy has been recognized by award shows are for his dramatic roles in movies like Dream girls Y Mr. Church. A similar fate has befallen other comedy actors, from Jim Carrey to Robin Williams, and it has created the popular narrative that comedy actors like Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig, etc. they need to do serious dramas to be considered “real actors.” According to Brewer, this kind of thinking rules out the effort it takes to be funny in front of the camera.
“You take all the dramatic actors or actresses, and they will all say the same thing. Comedy is much more difficult. There is no one in the room laughing. Everyone must be very quiet. You are dealing with time, with an audience that is not there. there … I think it involves a lot more awareness and a lot more craftsmanship sometimes depending on the material then some of these [dramatic] roles where people just yell and yell, doing things that feel good on a human level, that are easier to do. “
Directed by Craig Brewer, Coming 2 America stars Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, Shari Headley, Wesley Snipes, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Teyana Taylor, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Paul Bates, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Bella Murphy. The movie is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Read the full interview at CinemaBlend.
Topics: Coming to America 2
Reference-movieweb.com
