Warner Bros. PicturesNo other comedian on this list has made so many brutally unfunny movies while still remaining one of the most well-regarded comedic actors of all time. That goes to show how much good will he's earned from a relatively small number of brilliant performances in Beverly Hills Cop, 48 Hours, Trading Places, and Coming To America. Of course, we'd all much rather remember Murphy as Axel Foley or Velvet Jones or even the Donkey from Shrek. But we have to crane our necks pretty hard not to notice the long list of messy garbage Murphy managed to push into theaters in the latter days of his movie career. The list itself is physically painful to write: The Golden Child, Harlem Nights, Holy Man, Vampire in Brooklyn, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, The Haunted Mansion, Norbit, Meet Dave...basically any sequel he's ever agreed to appear in that wasn't part of the Beverly Hills Cop or Shrek franchise. To be fair, Murphy appeared to be constantly caught in the crossfire of appealing to wider audiences while attempting to retain his signature cocksure humor. You can actually see him struggle with it in The Nutty Professor. And while he had some success walking that tightrope, he too often fell off and crashed through the safety net below. Here's to hoping he finally pulls the trigger on Beverly Hills Cop 4.
