Famous Porcupine: Edward

"I Was a Strange Child"

Edward was born on April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, NY. His mother was a telephone operator, and his father was a transit police officer who dabbled in acting and comedy. His first memory is of his parents fighting. His parents split up when he was three-years old, and his father was stabbed to death when Edward was just eight. (His brother later reported that a woman killed their father in a lover’s quarrel.) Not long after this, his mother became seriously ill, and he and his older brother were placed in foster care for a year. After this they rejoined their mother and new stepfather (who he later referred to as a “sweet blessing”), a foreman at an ice cream factory.

Even at an early age, Edward knew he wanted to perform. His brother recalls that as a young kid, he watched TV and said, “I’m going to be on that someday.” One Christmas, he asked for a ventriloquist dummy. “I was a strange child,” he later said to David Letterman.

“I'm Going to Be Bigger than Bob Hope"

In school, he was bright but mischievous and was known as a class clown. He spent a lot more time practicing impressions of famous people and telling jokes than he did studying. In fact, he viewed school primarily as a place to get laughs and try out new comedy bits which must have been infuriating for his teachers. By the time he was 15, he was already performing in comedy clubs in New York. When one of his teachers chastised him for all the joking around, Edward responded, “I’m going to be bigger than Bob Hope.”

"Sammy Went to Harvard"

In one of his stand-up skits a few years later, a mock public service announcement, he perhaps revealed how he may have felt about school. In “A Message to Young White Viewers” he deadpans: “I’m (_____), and I’m here to tell you about the importance of a good education. I’m twenty years old and a high school graduate. I studied at Nassau Community College for about two weeks. I have no formal theatrical training whatsoever yet I’m one of the stars of the new Saturday Night Live. I also make more in a week than most white people make in a year. Which leads me to the conclusion that in 1981, a good education is just about as important as a warm bucket of hamster vomit.” He goes on to encourage white kids to stop wasting their time in school. Instead, they should “quit school and be successful, like me.” The skit ends with Eddie’s limo driver, Sammy, coming to pick him up. “Excuse me, Mr. Murphy, your limousine’s waiting.” Eddie smiles at the camera. “Sammy went to Harvard.”

(To see this famous porcupine, click an arrow below.)

Eddie Murphy has become a Hollywood icon. After skyrocketing to fame through SNL, he has starred in dozens of films. He was the first actor to receive $1,000,000 for his first film, 48 Hours. He has since starred in dozens of films including the Beverly Hills Cop and Shrek franchises. For a fascinating look at Eddie’s life and career, I highly recommend, Being Eddie.

You might also enjoy the video referred to above: “A Message to Young White Viewers.”

Click here to read stories of more famous porcupines. Be sure to check out the book that inspired this series: Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies for Supporting Our Most Challenging Students.

Citations: The information for this story was drawn from several sources:

Author

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson has been an educator for many years. A public school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool, coached swim teams, and taught university graduate level classes. He now works as a consultant providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond.

As a classroom teacher, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award and was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written ten books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Rekindle Your Professional Fire: Powerful Habits for Becoming a More Well-Balanced Teacher.

When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, sorting baseball cards and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

View all posts