Eddie Murphy Accepts His Golden Globe Honor and Tells a Will Smith Slap Joke

Hollywood icon Eddie Murphy received the esteemed Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year’s Golden Globes ceremony. The actor, comedian, and previous Golden Globe winner accepted the honor Tuesday night, presented by Tracy Morgan and Jamie Lee Curtis, thanking the HFPA, as well as his partner, Paige Butcher, and his 10 kids — Eric, 33, Bria, 33, Christian, 32, Myles, 30, Shayne, 28, Zola, 23, Bella, 20, Angel, 15, Izzy, 6, and Max, 4 — for their “love, support, and inspiration.”

“I’ve been in the show business for 46 years, and I’ve been in the movie business for 41 years. So this has been a long time in the making,” he said. Murphy kept his acceptance speech brief, jokingly saying, “I could literally stand up here and keep saying ‘thank you’ till they play the piano.” However, he did leave a word of advice for other stars — and concluded with a hell of a punchline.

“To all the new up-and-coming dreamers and artists that are in the room tonight, I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity, and peace of mind,” he said. “I followed it my whole career. It’s very simple, it’s three things, just do these three things: pay your taxes, mind your business, and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out your f*cking mouth!”

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According to Variety, the Cecil B. DeMille Award has been presented to honorees since 1952, acknowledging talented individuals for their “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” However, the award wasn’t handed out last year as the Globes were boycotted by talent, media, and creatives over a lack of diversity at the HFPA (at the time, it didn’t have any Black members) and other issues.

Murphy now joins past awardees including Jane Fonda (2021), Tom Hanks (2020), Jeff Bridges (2019), Oprah Winfrey (2018), Meryl Streep (2017), and Denzel Washington (2016). And his honor couldn’t have come at a better time as the 61-year-old star is stepping back into his acting bag for Netflix’s “You People” rom-com, directed by Kenya Barris, which stars Jonah Hill, Nia Long, Lauren London, and other familiar faces. Murphy’s next film project was also recently announced: a forthcoming Prime Video holiday flick titled “Candy Cane Lane,” which he’ll star in alongside Tracee Ellis Ross.

To many, Murphy is beloved for his iconic filmography that includes everything from the Beverly Hills Cop, Nutty Professor, and Shrek franchises to classics like “Coming to America” (which got a sequel in 2021), “Boomerang,” “Harlem Nights,” and “Dreamgirls,” which earned him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination and Golden Globe. Most recently, the icon starred in 2019’s “Dolemite Is My Name” as Rudy Ray Moore, another feature that earned him a Golden Globe nod.

Between his legendary comedy and acting talents, Murphy is, indeed, an icon deserving of his latest honor. Watch his Golden Globes speech ahead.