The entertainment world has been buzzing since it was announced that Eddie Murphy would be hosting the 84th annual Academy Awards next year. The choice has mostly been met with positivity, if not a little apprehension as to what kind of Murphy we can expect— the rambunctious, leather-clad comic one from his Raw and Delirious days, or the more subdued, inviting Daddy Day Care Eddie of late. As much of an opinion we may have as to how Eddie should host the show, Jon Stewart, a two time former Oscar host himself, told Rolling Stone, “Listen, the last person I would give advice to is Eddie Murphy. He’s gonna fucking kill it.”
Another iconic comedy great, Steve Martin, shows considerably less restraint in the advice-offering category with his open letter to Murphy he posted on stevemartin.com, where he runs down a list of tips for hosting the show. The joke letter includes such sage advice as, “Start slimming down now, you looked kind of paunchy in NORBIT.” He goes on to sincerely say Eddie deserved an Oscar nomination for his work in Bowfinger, a film written by and also starring Martin. Check out the rest of his advice below in the full letter.
