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Why did Eddie Murphy reject Rush Hour to Film Holy Man in Miami?

Eddie Murphy passed on Rush Hour with Jackie Chan to film Holy Man in Miami. Here’s why he made the choice and how his career continues to thrive.
posted by Sumit Yadav
Monday 8/11/2025 at 10:54AM EDT
  • LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Eddie Murphy attends the World Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "The Pickup" at Regal LA Live on July 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
    LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Eddie Murphy attends the World Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios' "The Pickup" at Regal LA Live on July 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

    Eddie Murphy is an Academy Award-nominated actor, but he’s never believed that success means only making prestige pictures. Firmly established as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Murphy has always chosen roles based on what he wanted to do in the moment - not just what might earn critical acclaim. That mindset explains why he followed up 2006’s Oscar-nominated Dreamgirls with the widely panned Norbit, and why, at the height of his stardom in the late ’90s, he turned down the buddy-cop blockbuster Rush Hour in favor of filming Holy Man in sunny Miami.

    Why did Eddie Murphy reject Rush Hour?

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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    Speaking on Complex’s 360 With Speedy Morman (via The Wrap), Eddie Murphy recalled the decision:

    “They came to me, it was two scripts. It was Rush Hour, it’s going to be action-comedy and you’re going to be with Jackie Chan, and it’s action, it’s summertime, running, all this physical stuff. This other [offer] was, ‘You in a robe in Miami’ — it was a no-brainer. We went to Miami and made a horrendous film, but it was easy. I have to stop saying horrendous. The movie was soft, it wasn’t a great picture."

    Murphy’s reasoning was that he preferred the relaxed shoot of Holy Man over the physically demanding Rush Hour. The 1998 comedy, in which he played an eccentric spiritual guru named “G,” was a departure from his usual action-heavy fare. Filming in Miami offered a more comfortable experience, even if the end result was, in his own words, “soft.”

    Holy Man ultimately flopped at the box office and with critics, while Rush Hour became a massive hit, launching Chris Tucker into superstardom alongside Jackie Chan. Still, Murphy has rarely shown regret about his career choices, noting that he’s always made films that interested him at the time, regardless of reviews or missed opportunities.

    This wasn’t the only major role he passed on. Murphy also revealed in the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet that he turned down a role in Malcolm X after a conversation with Sidney Poitier. At the time, Murphy was approached to play Alex Haley, but Poitier advised him, “You are not Denzel [Washington], and you are not Morgan [Freeman]. You are a breath of fresh air, and don’t mess with that.” The part never materialized in the final film, which Spike Lee directed with Washington in the lead role.

    Eddie Murphy’s career explored

    The American actor Edward Murphy began his career as a stand-up comic before gaining prominent attention as one of Saturday Night Live’s brightest stars during the early 1980s. Murphy soon starred in box-office hits like 48 Hrs., Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, and Dr. Dolittle. He also found success as a voice actor, most famously as Donkey in the Shrek franchise.

    Murphy has had a decorated career so far, earning numerous awards, including a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, along with Oscar and BAFTA nominations. According to IMDb, his films have grossed over $3.8 billion worldwide, ranking him at 10th on the list of the highest-grossing actors in U.S. history.

    In recent years, Murphy has experienced a career resurgence with Dolemite Is My Name, Coming 2 America, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. His latest release, The Pickup, streaming on Amazon Prime, blends action and comedy in classic Murphy fashion. He plays Russell Pierce, a veteran armored car driver nearing retirement, who gets caught up in a daring $60 million casino cash heist alongside rookie partner Travis Stolly. 

    From not choosing to star in Rush Hour to taking creative risks in both comedy and drama, Eddie Murphy has built a career defined by his personal choices. And if his latest work is any indication, he’s still finding new ways to surprise audiences decades after first stepping into the spotlight.

    Stay tuned with us for further updates.

    TOPICS: Eddie Murphy


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