Ryan Reynolds thinks one of Eddie Murphy‘s comedic performances was overlooked by the Academy. During a recent appearance on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, the Deadpool & Wolverine actor shared that Murphy not receiving an Oscar nod for his multi-character work on The Nutty Professor is one of the “greatest, most, greatest injustices.” When asked what he considered the greatest Oscars snub of all time, Reynolds shared:
“One of the greatest, most, greatest injustices is that Eddie Murphy doesn’t have an Oscar for ‘The Nutty Professor.'”
The Murphy-led comedy is a remake of the 1963 movie of the same name that starred Jerry Lewis. Directed by Tom Shadyac, the 1996 version sees Murphy tackle seven different roles, including Professor Sherman Klump and his charming but devious alter ego Buddy Love. The film earned mostly positive reviews from critics (and currently holds a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), who praised Murphy for his hilarious portrayals. The movie spawned a significantly less popular sequel, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, led by Murphy and directed by Peter Segal.
Murphy’s work in The Nutty Professor earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical category (the accolade went to Tom Cruise for Jerry Maguire). However, that year’s Best Actor Oscar race was led by dramatic performances: Geoffrey Rush for Shine, Billy Bob Thornton for Sling Blade, Peter Fonda for Ulee’s Gold, and Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting, with Cruise being the only actor to earn the nod for a comedy. The Nutty Professor earned the Best Makeup Award at that year’s reception, and Rush took home the statue for Best Actor. Years later, Murphy earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work as James “Thunder” Early in 2006’s Dream Girls.
Will We See Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman Team Up as Oscars Hosts?
Speaking of the Oscars, Reynolds says he’d love to host alongside his Deadpool & Wolverine co-star and friend Hugh Jackman at some point. While the timing is not right at this point, we certainly hope that it works out at some point, as their dynamic in the Marvel film is a highlight and an on-screen nod to their real-life friendship.
“It would be a dream to do it one day. But I’m writing a movie for myself, Hugh [Jackman] and Shawn [Levy] to do that is not Marvel. That’s it.”
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Eddie Murphy Has an Unexpected Opinion on His 1996 Comedy The Nutty Professor
Eddie Murphy reflects on his comedy remake of The Nutty Professor in a more positive way than many.
While Reynolds doesn’t elaborate on what that film could be, we do know that he’s collaborating on two upcoming projects with Levy: an untitled comedy heist “set up as an ensemble in the spirit of an ‘Oceans Eleven'” that will land on Netflix at some point, and Boy Band. Listed in pre-production stages, the latter project (whose plot details are under wraps) lists Levy as its director and Reynolds as a co-writer on IMDB.
Deadpool & Wolverine is currently available for purchase and will land on Disney+ on November 12. Murphy most recently reprized his role as Axel Foley for Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, and he’ll be back as another fan-favorite character for Shrek 5, which is set for a 2026 premiere. The 97th Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Friday, January 17, 2025, with the awards presentation set for March 2.
The Nutty Professor (1996)
- Release Date
- June 28, 1996
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Character(s)
- Sherman Klump , Carla Purty , Harlan HartleyDean Richmond , Reggie Warrington , Jason , Dean’s Secretary , Ernie Klump Jr.