Eddie Murphy is widely known for steering clear of drugs and alcohol, a trait that sets him apart from many of his peers. According to Murphy, he has only consumed alcohol twice in his entire life, with one of those rare occasions occurring during his honeymoon in 1993. Reflecting on his drinking experience, he candidly admitted,
“I can’t drink, because I will throw up,”
and added,
“That was the second time I got drunk and it was the last time.”
The Troubled First Drink During ‘Coming to America’ Filming
Murphy’s first encounter with alcohol allegedly happened in 1988 while working on the film Coming to America. This episode coincided with a tense working relationship between Murphy and the film’s director, John Landis. According to Murphy, Landis had continually antagonized him throughout the shoot, contributing significantly to his frustration. Landis even warned lead actress Shari Headley to avoid Murphy romantically during filming, fearing it would jeopardize the movie’s success. Matters deteriorated when Landis intervened in a business negotiation between Murphy and his writers, escalating tensions.
Conflict on Set and Its Aftermath
One heated moment saw Murphy grab Landis by the throat in jest, to which Landis responded by reaching down towards Murphy’s groin. Murphy recalled,
“Landis reached down to grab my balls, like he also thought it was a joke—and I cut his wind off,”
before describing,
“He fell down, his face turned red, his eyes watered up like a b—h and he ran off the set.”
The root of Landis’s erratic behavior later became clearer to Murphy when he learned Landis was upset over Murphy’s lack of support during his trial connected to the accidental deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two children during the filming of the 1983 movie Twilight Zone: The Movie. This traumatic context intensified the strain on Murphy during the shoot.
How Stress Led to a Drinking Incident
The mounting tension between Murphy and Landis eventually pushed Murphy to try alcohol. Murphy recounted to Rolling Stone in 1989,
“While making Coming to America, I had some weirdness with John Landis, who was directing the movie. We had a tussling confrontation, and when I went home, Arsenio [Hall] gave me some alcohol to settle me down. I thought a drink might help.”
However, this attempt ended disastrously as Murphy admitted,
“I won the Most Vomit Award. I was bent over the toilet for hours.”
Arsenio Hall’s Recollection of the Incident
Further details emerged when Murphy appeared on Arsenio Hall’s show in 2013. Hall explained,
“I got him to try vodka and orange juice, which is called a screwdriver.”
Murphy chimed in,
“He had a fifth of Stoli vodka, and we drank that shit and the story ended horribly.”
Hall painted a picture of a wild house party with many guests and revealed that Murphy, in his intoxicated state, was even engaging in a one-sided conversation with a dog named Val. Hall asserted,
“You were on your kitchen floor, and you said, ‘Val, I trust you.’”
Murphy responded with some uncertainty,
“I don’t remember talking to the dog,”
underscoring how little he recalled from the episode prior to his severe vomiting.
Reunion After Tensions Settle
Despite their earlier clashes, Murphy and Landis worked together again for Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994. There is no public record of any further conflicts or incidents involving alcohol during this collaboration, suggesting that they were able to move past their previous difficulties for the sake of the project.
