The ‘Chappelle’s Show’ star died from leukemia on Wednesday.
Charlie Murphy, Chappelle’s Show star and Eddie Murphy’s older brother, has died, publicist Domenick Nati told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 57.
Murphy died from leukemia on Wednesday, said Nati.
“Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie, The Murphy family said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won’t be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us.”
Murphy became a household name through Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central skit show thanks to his amazing stories of interactions with other celebrities during the height of his brother’s fame in the 1980s. The most popular short turned into a skit was about the late Rick James.
Concerning his friendship with James, Murphy once said there were way more wild tales to tell, but they would never had made TV.
“He went there, where I was like, ‘Yo, Rick, you took the shit too far.’ And his response, ‘There’s no such place. Darkness, let’s go to the abyss!'” Murphy once said on a Chappelle’s Show outtake. “I don’t want to go the the abyss, man. Rick wants to go to the abyss. In fact, he dwells in the abyss. And he wants company sometimes, and for some reason, he likes to reach out for me. And I’m not with it. And that’s when we would end up tussling.”
The comedian’s Twitter account sent a final note Tuesday evening that read: “One to Sleep On: Release the past to rest as deeply as possible.”
“You’ll be missed but never forgotten,” fellow Chappelle’s Show actor and good friend Donnell Rawlings said in an Instagram post featuring an image together. “Charlie was a lion. It’s time for Darkness to see the light.”
Murphy also appeared in numerous movies, TV shows and even lent his voice to some video games.
The actor and comedian was on record as saying he was a hothead when he worked as a bodyguard for his brother. He said he loved Eddie so much, and thought he was so funny, that he would pick fights with people who did not laugh at his brother’s jokes when he performed.
“It was to the point that, if I went to a show and you were the hater in the audience that was like, ‘That shit wasn’t funny’ POW! I’m jamming you, man,” Murphy once said. “Because the shit was funny. There was 10,000 people laughing, and you that one joker that wanna try and squeeze a lemon. F— you. I don’t even want you to be there. And I took it as a personal crusade, and they were like, ‘You know what, you’re a little overzealous with your job.’ So, that is how I ended up not doing that anymore.”
Murphy is also remembered for his amazing tale about the legendary musician, Prince, which was made into a skit for Chappelle’s Show. Murphy said he and friends played basketball against Prince and his entourage one night in the 1980s. Murphy said he was shocked how good Prince was at the game. Afterward, Prince made everyone pancakes. Prince was on record saying the story was true, even the breakfast.
“We just lost one of the funniest most real brothers of all time. Charlie Murphy RIP,” Chris Rock wrote on Twitter. Mogul Russell Simmons tweeted: “Just came out of meditation and learned that one of my friends and my biggest comedy idol passed. Damn I loved Charlie Murphy.”
“Terribly saddened … Charlie,” comedian Paul Mooney wrote.
Source; The Hollywood Reporter
