'I'm not gonna be the sympathy guy all night':Eddie Murphy explains early exit from Oscars after 'Dreamgirls' loss

Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy has clarified the reasons behind his early departure from the 79th Academy Awards ceremony in 2007 after losing the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the musical drama 'Dreamgirls', saying he wanted to avoid spending the rest of the evening receiving sympathy over the outcome, according to People.

Murphy, now 64, was considered one of the strongest contenders that year and had swept several major awards during the season for his portrayal of singer James "Thunder" Early in the musical drama. However, the Academy Award ultimately went to veteran actor Alan Arkin for his role as Edwin Hoover in 'Little Miss Sunshine'.

While promoting his documentary 'Being Eddie', Murphy addressed the long-standing speculation surrounding his exit from the Oscars ceremony. He clarified that it was not an emotional or impulsive reaction to losing the award. Instead, he said the decision was calm and deliberate.

"What happened was I was at the Oscars, I had lost, and then people kept coming over to me and kept [patting] me on the shoulder," Murphy told Entertainment Weekly while chatting about his documentary, Being Eddie, as reported by People.

"Clint Eastwood came and rubbed my shoulder. And I was like, 'Oh, no, no, I'm not gonna be this guy all night. Let's just leave'," he recalled. "I didn't storm out. I was like, 'I'm not gonna be the sympathy guy all night'," he added.

Murphy also addressed rumours that he skipped celebrating with his Dreamgirls co-stars, including Jennifer Hudson, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress that night and that he missed the film's musical performance. He emphasised that his departure had nothing to do with anger, disappointment or resentment.

The actor revealed that he had anticipated Arkin's win months before the ceremony, after watching Little Miss Sunshine at a private screening. "Now that performance right there is one of those performances that will steal somebody's Oscar," Murphy recalled telling producer Jeff Katzenberg at the time. "Then he stole mine," Murphy joked, before adding, "No, I don't feel like he stole mine."

The Coming 2 America actor told EW that, since his Oscar nomination, he has learned that winning the prestigious film award is "more art than science."

"It's not like, 'Oh, you do this, and you do that, and you win the Oscar.' No, it's all this intangible stuff that comes with winning: campaigning and your past stuff and what do they owe you and s---. All of that stuff comes into play when you get Oscars," he explained, as quoted by People.

Murphy concluded by saying that Alan Arkin, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 89, was a deserving winner, describing him as "an amazing actor" whose long and distinguished career merited the honour.

Murphy's documentary 'Being Eddie' is currently streaming on OTT, according to People.

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