Eddie Murphy revealed his extravagant Christmas celebrations and shared a light-hearted take on fellow star Nick Cannon's growing family during the premiere of his latest festive movie, "Candy Cane Lane."
The event, held at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles, saw the 62-year-old actor in high spirits as he discussed his new project and personal holiday traditions with Entertainment Tonight.
The essence of Murphy's Christmas revolves around family. With 10 children from his current and previous relationships, the actor’s holiday season is all about "everybody getting together."
He enthusiastically shared, "I go all-out on Christmas. I got 10 kids, and all the family comes around, and it's just a house full of people. That's my favorite dish."
Eddie has had ten children with different partners, the last two having been with current partner Paige Butcher.
They welcomed their first child, Izzy Oona, on 3 May 2016, and two years later they had their second, Max Charles, on 20 November 2018.
The actor welcomed his first son, Eric Murphy, in 1989. His mother is Paulette McNeely, though little is known about her relationship with the Coming to America lead. The same year, he welcomed his first daughter, Bria Murphy, whose mom is Nicole Mitchell.
The following year, in 1990 and before tying the knot with Nicole, he welcomed another son, Christian Murphy, with Tamara Hood.
Nicole and Eddie initially met in 1988, though they got married in 1993. Together, they welcomed five of his ten children, daughters Bria, Shayne, Zola and Bella, as well as a son, Myles.
The couple divorced in 2006, and that year, he started dating Melanie Brown, aka Spice Girl Mel B. They had one daughter together, Angel Iris, in 2007.
When asked about any advice he might have for Nick Cannon, who has fathered 12 children with six women, Eddie playfully responded, "Lord have mercy, yeah, no, he don't need no advice." This light-hearted comment reflects Murphy's easy-going attitude and sense of humor.
In "Candy Cane Lane," Murphy plays the role of Chris Carver, a family man on a mission to win a neighborhood Christmas decorating contest. The plot thickens as Chris makes a deal with a magical elf, leading to unexpected twists.
The film also stars Tracee Ellis Ross as his wife, Carol Carver. Praising his co-star, Murphy said, "We had really good chemistry together 'cause she's funny. She's funny and she goes for it, and she's a good actress. I'm going to do something else with her."
Reflecting on his iconic career, Eddie expressed his excitement about finally starring in a Christmas-themed family comedy.
"It just never came along," he said, noting his previous winter-set films like "Trading Places" and "Coming to America." "But this is the first time I just did a straight-out Christmas film," he added.
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