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Prince Akeem is Eddie Murphy’s most likable character in this ranking: he is funny and confident, but his search for a partner who loves him for himself gives his swagger a generous purpose. This is an editorial ranking, not a poll or a measured consensus. The order weighs warmth, comic appeal, character growth, and the effects of each character’s flaws on other people.
How this ranking works
Murphy’s roles range from live-action leads to animated sidekicks and several distinct characters in the same film. Likability here means more than being funny or memorable: a character rises when humor comes with warmth, generosity, or growth, and falls when their flaws cause harm without much correction. The ranking concerns the characters, not the films’ critical scores or Murphy’s personal favorites.
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![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 most likable Eddie Murphy characters
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Prince Akeem — Coming to America
Akeem is a prince who rejects an arranged marriage and travels to America looking for a woman who loves him for himself. He conceals his identity and takes a fast-food job, giving the romantic comedy a likable core: beneath the privilege and fish-out-of-water jokes is someone willing to risk comfort for an honest relationship. Paramount’s film page describes that premise and credits Murphy with multiple roles in the film.
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Donkey — Shrek
Donkey’s chatter and exuberant singing make him an immediate comic presence, but his appeal is also rooted in loyalty. He sticks by Shrek even when the ogre is prickly and reluctant to accept help. The character’s persistence can be irritating by design; it is also what makes his friendship feel steadfast. The American Film Institute notes Murphy’s Annie Award win and BAFTA nomination for the performance in its career overview.
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Axel Foley — Beverly Hills Cop
Axel’s irreverence and quick improvisation make him a charismatic detective who can unsettle people in authority without losing sight of the case. His humor is a tool, not his whole personality: loyalty to friends and determination to pursue justice give the wisecracks a human center. In a Netflix roundtable, Murphy reflected on the staying power of the series: “Like, Beverly Hills Cop has been around forever, and it plays all the time, and it doesn’t get old.” The roundtable identifies him with the role.
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Clarence — Coming to America
Clarence, the barber at the Queens shop, is one of Murphy’s supporting transformations in the film. His teasing, neighborhood-gossip energy makes the shop feel like a comic community rather than a mere stop on Akeem’s journey. He ranks below the central pair because his appeal is largely in the scene-stealing performance, not a developed character arc.
Rank #2
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Sherman Klump — The Nutty Professor
Sherman’s warmth and insecurity make him more sympathetic than his alter ego, Buddy Love. His story turns on wanting to be accepted, and his awkwardness supplies much of the comedy without making him cruel. AFI’s overview identifies Murphy as playing Sherman, Buddy, and members of the Klump family; this entry is specifically about Sherman, not the entire ensemble.
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Saul — Coming to America
Saul, the elderly Jewish barber in Clarence’s shop, gives Murphy another sharply observed character within the same film. His cantankerous manner and blunt jokes create comic friction, while his place among the shop regulars lends him a little more warmth than the gruffness first suggests. Like Clarence, he is a supporting comic portrait rather than a character with a substantial growth arc.
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Rudy Ray Moore as Dolemite — Dolemite Is My Name
Murphy’s portrayal of performer Rudy Ray Moore centers on an ambitious entertainer determined to bring his creation, Dolemite, to the screen. The character’s nerve and persistence are appealing, though his drive can crowd out the people helping him. That mix of infectious confidence and self-involvement keeps him below the warmer characters at the top.
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James “Thunder” Early — Dreamgirls
Early is a gifted, magnetic performer whose appetite for attention and pleasure creates real costs for those around him. His charisma makes him compelling, but likability is not the same as stage presence: the harm caused by his choices limits how high he can place. AFI identifies Murphy’s role and records major award wins and an Academy Award nomination for the performance.
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
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Buddy Love — The Nutty Professor
Buddy is Sherman’s brash, self-assured alter ego, built for big laughs and exaggerated swagger. That confidence is precisely what makes him entertaining and difficult to like: he is often dismissive and selfish, and the comedy depends on the contrast with Sherman’s more vulnerable nature. This ranking treats Buddy separately from Sherman because they are distinct roles in Murphy’s performance.
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Randy Watson — Coming to America
Randy Watson, the aspiring singer fronting Sexual Chocolate, is a memorable comic cameo, especially for his extravagant performance style. He earns a place among Murphy’s iconic characters through sheer comic specificity, but the role is a brief gag rather than a sustained portrait. On likability as well as depth, he lands last in this list.
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Why the order is subjective
There is no official or measured ranking of these characters’ likability. AFI documents Murphy’s range across films including The Nutty Professor, Shrek, Dreamgirls, and Dolemite Is My Name, but awards recognize performances, not how likable a character is. Rotten Tomatoes’ film rankings are likewise about movies, not characters. Murphy’s reported favorite films—including Coming to America, Shrek, The Nutty Professor, and 48 Hrs.—describe his preferences, not this ranking. The criteria here are the characters’ warmth, comic appeal, growth, and impact on others.
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