Eddie Murphy To Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ For First Time In 35 Years

Eddie Murphy is finally returning to the Saturday Night Live stage for the first time in 35 years.

The New York City-based sketch comedy series, which began in 1975, announced Monday in a tweet that the 58-year-old comedian and former SNL cast member would host the final episode of 2019 on December 21. No musical guest has yet been announced for that episode. Murhpy’s last SNL hosting gig came in 1984.

The sketch comedy show also released the list of hosts and musical guests for other episodes this upcoming season:

Murphy last appeared on SNL in 2015 for the 40th anniversary special episode, although his performance disappointed many fans, partly because he did not play any of his favorite characters like Gumby, James Brown, Little Richard Simmons and Mr. Robinson. The actor and comedian also said he was asked to play Bill Cosby for the anniversary episode but refused, saying he was uncomfortable with this part because he believed it would be hurtful to Cosby’s victims. Murphy has slammed the disgraced comic and sex offender multiple times, including on an episode of the latest season of Jerry Seinfeld‘s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Keenan Thompson ultimately played Cosby for the anniversary episode.

Murphy was a regular cast member on SNL from 1980 to 1984. Many comedians who were on the show and fans of the series credited him with saving the show during the 1980s.

Murphy’s last film was the 2015 drama Mr. Church. He has mainly made news in recent months for birthing children with his girlfriend Paige Butcher. Although Murphy hasn’t performed live comedy for years, he has some projects in the works. Vanity Fair recently reported the comic is negotiating a deal for a Netflix comedy special that will pay him at least $70 million. Murphy is also set to star in the upcoming Netflix biographical comedy film Dolemite Is My Name, which serves as a parody of 1970s blaxploitation films.

It was also announced earlier this year that Murphy would reprise his role in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America in a sequel set to be released in 2020. In the original film, Murphy played a fictional African prince who comes to the United States in search of a spouse.

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