Eddie Murphy called out fake laughter in comedy and shared how Will Ferrell’s pants-free moment at SNL’s 50th left him cracking up.
Eddie Murphy didn’t hold back on The Jennifer Hudson Show when he called out one of his biggest comedy turn-offs and shared a wild behind-the-scenes moment from the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special.
The legendary comedian and actor, 64, revealed that phony laughter is one of his biggest pet peeves in comedy.
“The audience hates it,” Eddie Murphy said. “Sometimes people do it and they ain’t really laughing, they be like, fake laughing and the audience is like, ‘He ain’t really laughing.’”
Murphy also opened up about a hilarious moment that caught him completely off guard during the SNL celebration in February, when fellow comic Will Ferrell showed up without pants.
“I started laughing there,” Eddie Murphy told Hudson. “I start laughing all the time, you know, in the middle of stuff and then we just go back and fix it… I love that, when something makes you, you know, you can’t hold it in, you gotta start laughing. And the audience likes it too.”
Despite his distaste for forced chuckles, Eddie Murphy made it clear that genuine laughter—especially when it breaks through during a live performance—is something he embraces.
He said those moments are not only fun for the cast but also appreciated by the crowd.
Reflecting on his return to SNL, Murphy described the experience as meaningful and nostalgic.
“I felt like I was part of something. That show was on for 50 years, you know, so it’s this American institution,” he said. “So when you’re in the room, and you see all the different people that were part of the show, I had this really great feeling, like, ‘Wow, I’m a part of this show!’ It was a good feeling. I loved it.”
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