1. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy is one of the most important comedians of all time. He just is. There are no two ways about it. His stand-up in the 80s were things of comic beauty, even if admittedly some of the material has aged terribly and some of his jokes should never have been said. But in terms of his stage presence, his aura, his goddamn swagger, Eddie Murphy revolutionised the stand-up scene of 1980s America. Delirious and Raw, his two concert performances, to my view contain some of the greatest comedy moments of all time. Those leather suits, his effortlessly handsome face, his perfectly timed delivery were all things of cosmic wonder. He was a force of nature, sexy and daring, and he was about to take over the world with his comedy stick, or schtick if you will. He made his transition into the movies with Beverly Hills Cop, Trading places and 48 hours. And they were all box office dynamite. Not only was he the best stand up of his generation, he was quickly establishing himself as the best comedic actor of his generation. Coming To America, The Nutty Professor (although really we should have noticed the warning signs here), and the aforementioned Bowfinger only solidified Eddie Murphy as The Man. He was the box office golden boy. And then he became a staunch family favourite thanks to turns in Shrek, Mulan and Doctor Dolittle. He was an actor everyone could get behind and celebrate. And then it all went horribly wrong. The early 2000s were a time on mainly sequels for our man Murphy. Then in 2006/07 both the best and worst things could have happened to the career of one Edward Regan Murphy. He had a whirlwind romance with Mel B of The Spice Girls fame and she got pregnant. The news broke and she confirmed that Murphy was the father. He denied it. Strenuously. "I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, sir" he told a Dutch reporter. So the tests were done and surprise surprise, whos the daddy? Thats right. He the daddy. And he wanted nothing to do with his kid. OK, fine. Each to their own. We are not people to judge. Although that is a bit of a dick move, because that same year Eddie had a film out. Dreamgirls. And this was Eddie Murphys first serious performance. And unlike the other actors getting serious on this list, this performance is awesome. This is a performance that could only have been given by him. Its raw, and earthy and makes you feel the pain of a performer yearning for the glory days, probably because in all honesty that was exactly what was going on in the mind on Murphy anyway. So he generates Oscar buzz, he is the odds-on favourite. Then Norbit comes out. And it all goes wrong. Its a box office bomb. Its called degrading and offensive to many. And it effectively ends any chance Murphy had of winning the big one, and has put seemingly irreversible nails in the comedy coffin of Eddie Murphy. Since Norbit, he has only done Shrek sequels and Tower Heist, a not that well received Ben Stiller vehicle. Hollywood still hasn't let Eddie Murphy back in, and it may never. But his talent has been and will always be unquestionable. Now at least there's room for more comedic actor's in Hollywood now, eh guys? Over here! Pick me!