Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →This is a subjective ranking of Eddie Murphy performances by the warmth, generosity, loyalty, comic charm and vulnerability that make each character enjoyable to spend time with. Likability is not the same as acting skill, a film’s popularity or moral goodness: a flawed character can be charming, and an impressive performance can belong to someone hard to like.
How this ranking works
The order weighs what each character does, how Murphy plays them, and how the film frames them. It includes lead roles, an ensemble performance and voice work, rather than treating box-office success or familiarity as a measure of likability.
![Beverly Hills Cop 3-Movie Collection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iFJTJP1jL._SL160_.jpg)
![Johnny English: 3-Movie Collection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51esknug-vL._SL160_.jpg)
![Coming to America Double Feature: Coming to America [DVD, 1988] / Coming 2 America [Blu-ray, 2021] Starring Eddie Murphy (Coming to America 1 & 2) (2-Movie Set)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71g91MKWfRL._SL160_.jpg)
The 10 Eddie Murphy roles, ranked
-
Donkey — Shrek series
Donkey’s appeal rests on exuberant comic charm and an unmistakable capacity for loyalty. He can be relentlessly talkative, but his eagerness to connect makes the noise feel less like self-importance than affection. Murphy’s voice performance gives the character a buoyant warmth that works even when Donkey is being a nuisance.
The franchise’s reach is not the reason for this placement, but it shows how prominent the role became: the American Film Institute records that Shrek 2 was the highest-grossing film of 2004. American Film Institute.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.#1 Best Overall
-
Akeem — Coming to America
Akeem begins as a pampered African prince, then rejects an arranged marriage and travels to America to find a bride, as Paramount’s film description explains. His likability comes from the sincerity of that search and his willingness to step outside the life laid out for him. The premise gives him room for romantic earnestness as well as comedy.
Murphy also plays supporting characters in the film, but Akeem earns a separate place here as its romantic lead: his appeal is gentler and more idealistic than the broad comic performances around him.
Rank #2
-
Axel Foley — Beverly Hills Cop
Axel is a Detroit detective who tracks his best friend’s killer in Beverly Hills, according to the American Film Institute catalog. His rule-breaking, quick-talking manner is part of the comedy, but the loyalty underneath it gives the character emotional weight. Murphy’s mischievous charm makes Axel’s irreverence feel companionable rather than cold.
In a Netflix Tudum roundtable, Murphy described having “real fondness” for Axel. That is evidence of the actor’s connection to the character, not proof of a universal audience verdict. Netflix Tudum.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Rudy Ray Moore — Dolemite Is My Name
Unlike the fictional characters elsewhere on this list, Rudy Ray Moore was a real performer portrayed by Murphy. Dolemite Is My Name follows Moore as he develops an outrageous stage character, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ Eddie Murphy guide. The role’s likability comes from the drive to make something distinctive and the comic audacity with which Moore pursues it.
That is a different kind of appeal from Axel’s loyalty or Akeem’s romantic sincerity: it depends on Murphy making ambition and theatricality engaging without pretending the character is simply admirable.
Rank #4
![Beverly Hills Cop - 3 Movie Collection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51C+qsRpOpL._SL160_.jpg)
Beverly Hills Cop - 3 Movie Collection [Blu-ray]- Eddie Murphy
-
Donkey’s fellow travelers and foils — not separate entries
This ranking counts characters, not every film or franchise appearance. Donkey earns one place for his role across the Shrek series, rather than separate slots for each installment; that keeps the list from rewarding a character merely for returning.
-
Clarence, Saul and Randy Watson — Coming to America
Murphy and Arsenio Hall play multiple roles in Coming to America, as Paramount notes. Clarence, Saul and Randy Watson showcase Murphy’s range for comic transformation, but their appeal is more rooted in broad performance and disguise than the loyalty or vulnerability that lift the characters above them. They share one entry because they are supporting comic creations within the same film, not three independent lead arcs.
Recommended Free Tools
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Best Value
-
James “Thunder” Early — Dreamgirls
Murphy’s James “Thunder” Early is a notable ensemble performance in Dreamgirls, listed in the Rotten Tomatoes Murphy guide. The case for his likability here is principally the appeal of Murphy’s performance within an ensemble, rather than a claim that the character is consistently warm or admirable. That distinction keeps performance quality from standing in for the character’s personal charm.
-
Sherman Klump — The Nutty Professor
Sherman Klump is among the Murphy roles identified in the Rotten Tomatoes guide. He belongs in a ranking that values vulnerability as well as comic charm: the character offers a contrast to Murphy’s more swaggering, fast-talking creations. The family members Murphy also plays in the film are not counted separately here; this entry focuses on Sherman.
-
Randy Watson — Coming to America
Randy Watson’s brief, broad comic presence is memorable, but he has less room for the warmth, loyalty or vulnerability that define the highest-ranked characters. He already appears with Murphy’s other supporting roles in the sixth entry, so he does not receive a second slot here.
-
Murphy’s family characters — The Nutty Professor
The family roles broaden Murphy’s comic transformations, but they are supporting performances rather than separate character journeys in this comparison. Counting Sherman and each family member as independent entries would inflate one film’s share of the ranking without adding equivalent evidence of likability.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Why the order is subjective
There is no canonical cross-career likability ranking in the cited film guides. Rotten Tomatoes ranks films by Tomatometer, while a Den of Geek article ranks characters within Coming to America; neither establishes this list’s order. Rotten Tomatoes and Den of Geek offer different kinds of comparison, not an audience poll or a measure of how likable these characters are.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
