Eddie Murphy says the late comedian Robin Williams warned him not to call out the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for not awarding Black actors.
Eddie made the statement to Entertainment Tonight while promoting his documentary “Being Eddie.”
He recalled presenting the Best Picture Oscar at the 1988 Oscar Awards. While at the podium, he deliberately called out the Academy for failing to recognize the contributions made by Black actors.
He assumed his stance would generate headlines in the press the next morning. But he was surprised when none of the media outlets mentioned his speech.
Eddie said Robin Williams warned him not to do it before he went out on stage.
“I remember being with Robin Williams backstage. I was like, ‘I’m gonna say this.’ And he goes to me, like, ‘But why go there?’ I was like, ‘Oh, you don’t think it’s funny?’ It was more, ‘Is it funny?’ Rather than, ‘It’s controversial.’ I was trying to be funny and say a little something, but be funny too. Have a little edge to what I said.”
At the time, only 3 Black actors received Oscar Awards in the Academy’s 61-year history: Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier and Louis Gossett Jr.
