He hopes he has:' At school I had a pot belly, brown frame glasses and a bald head.' He started telling jokes and at age 15 was voted the most popular boy in school. A child of television he could do perfect impressions of Bugs Bunny -- and Jerry Lewis. He liked it at home ( his mother worked as a telephonist, his stepfather for an ice cream company) and used a gold lame cape given to him by Uncle Roy as a stage prop. He would ‘perform' ‘Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden' doing all the moves for his imaginary audience until he was soaked in sweat.

‘Elvis was my idol then -- still is. I thought he had more presence and charisma than anybody who ever existed.'

At 15, his career goals changed. Until then he had wanted to own a Mister Softee Ice Cream van ( to get free ice cream) but he switched to performing when he found that his comedy routine turned on the girls. ‘Girls started screaming and I said:'' Shit...you can't make girls scream in a Mr Softee truck''. ‘

He was performing in clubs before he could legally have bought a drink in them. He was 19 when he walked into the Comic Strip in New York.From there he became a featured player on American television's landmark ‘Saturday Night Live'. He was paid $750 as show. ‘His effect was dazzling', said director John Landis who went on with him to make ‘Trading Places' adding:' There was a ding when he walked on, almost like Marilyn Monroe.'

For his second season he was paid $30,000 a show. A 48 minute comedy album won two Grammy awards and sold a quarter of a million copies. There was a sell out concert tour, a video and cable-TV specials and Hollywood knocking at the door. At 22, he retired from TV saying:' I want to do my stuff.'

Interestingly, it began with hand-me-down roles. He replaced his hero Richard Pryor in ‘Trading Places' and took over from Sylvester Stallone as the ‘Beverly Hills Cop'.

The mistakes were waiting to happen. After ‘Trading Places' his co-star Dan Ackroyd suggested working together again. Murphy recalled:' Dan said:''How about making a movie about fighting ghosts?'' I was like:'' I ain't fucking with no ghosts.'' Then I saw it and I wanted to jump off the road. I regret not making ‘'Ghostbusters.'''

Another regret involved Stevie Wonder and not singing on ‘We Are The World'. He shakes his head:' Stevie asked me to come to the studio but I was working on my own album and blew it off. I was like:'' They'll probably put me in the back row with Sonny Bono and LaToya Jackson.'' Then I saw the video and again I wanted to jump off the roof.'

Otherwise, he says he regrets nothing:' I've done something no other black person done before -- my films have been successful the world over.'

His image as the love ‘em and leave ‘em guy in the leather suit and Ray-bans has also gone. WIth his wife Nicole and three children he lives away from the public neon at Bubble Hill: someone somewhere diagnosed spin control.

But he still likes the chunky diamond rings and black baseball caps. He says he doesn't feel threatened by the new generation of black moviemakers:' That's like saying a new band will affect the Rolling Stones.'

Of course, Eddie Murphy is talking so fast he's not gathering moss. You wonder about wisdom with hindsight. He warns that his fire is not out: ‘I've settled down but I'm still on the edge.'

That's hard to fathom with Jerry Lewis remakes and talking to the animals......

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