Eddie Murphy attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Netflix's "You People" at Regency Village Theatre on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.
Eddie Murphy Cast as First Black Inspector Clouseau in New Pink Panther
Eddie Murphy follows the likes of Steve Martin and others, who have played the iconic bumbling figure of Inspector Clouseau since the Pink Panther franchise began in 1963.
Eddie Murphy isn’t done with children’s movies just yet. The 62-year-old actor has reportedly landed the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in MGM’s upcoming Pink Panther reboot, succeeding Steve Martin who last played the character in the 2009 movie The Pink Panther 2. With a script written by Chris Bremner (Bad Boys for Life, The Man from Toronto) the new Pink Panther will be directed by Jeff Fowler (Sonic the Hedgehog).
The Pink Panther franchise began in 1963 with late actor Peter Sellers playing Clouseau, also reprising the role in 1964’s A Shot in the Dark, 1975’s The Return of the Pink Panther, 1976’s The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and 1978’s Revenge of the Pink Panther. With the role inhabited by Alan Arkin, Roger Moore, and Steve Martin, Murphy has become the first Black actor to play Clouseau.
Murphy last starred in Netflix romantic comedy You People and has shown interest in returning to the Shrek franchise as Donkey. The comedian and actor will next reprise his role as Axel Foley in the long-awaited buddy cop film Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley and star in Amazon Prime film Candy Cane Lane with Tracee Ellis Ross, Robin Thede, Nick Offerman, and more.
One franchise that Murphy will not be returning to is Walt Disney Studios’ Haunted Mansion, which revealed its official trailer earlier this week. The 2003 film version of the iconic dark ride was met with negative reviews and in January, Murphy told Entertainment Tonight that he didn’t want to jinx the remake.
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"I did a ‘Haunted Mansion’ movie, and it wasn't very good, so I don't know if they want to bring the old baggage and have me stinking up the new one," he joked. "My ‘Haunted Mansion’ was not all that and a bag of chips."
