13 Surprising Facts About Eddie Murphy And Dan Aykroyd's Relationship
Many, many Saturday nights ago, two actors won the world over with their outrageous comedy stylings. Fans loved how they pushed the envelope while remaining endearing and funny. Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy were among the original trailblazers on SaturdayNight Live, the comedy show credited with the birth of many big stars...and belly laughs!
Murphy and Aykroyd made millions laugh, week after week, thanks to their respective comedy chops. Both actors also played integral roles in pop culture during the Eighties!
Eddie and Dan starred together in the 1983 film, Trading Places, which was quite a 'trade' from their lives as Hollywood titans. Off-camera, they found time to maintain a close friendship!
Eddie and Dan's friendship is rock-solid; these two actors formed a friendship strong enough to resist competition and other Hollywood pitfalls. Here are thirteen tales!
13 Their Friendship Caused Quite A Stir
Eddie and Dan's friendship happened to blur fact and fiction...just like the basis for their relationship!
The world was introduced to the duo through their film, Trading Places. The film's plot revolved around financial trading, and the actors observed the practice firsthand.
Traders were enamored by the actors' presence, to the point of "distraction!"
12 Eddie's Sense Of Humor Was The Epitome Of Cool
Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd were members of a defining era of comedic actors who evolved into the world's most legendary comedians.
The idea of competition among the now-legendary actors and OG Saturday Night Live cast members might seem like a possibility, but it wasn't an issue for Eddie and Dan!
Years later, in a radio interview, Dan spoke fondly of young Eddie's sense of humor.
11 Dan Advocated For His Friend In Film
You know you have a true friend when they always have your back!
Eddie Murphy's long-standing career has had highs and lows. Murphy experienced a downturn in the middle of the 2000s. This was a time when his personal life overshadowed his professional life, but his old friend Dan consistently supported him, no matter what!
During a period of 'screen stalling' in Eddie's career, Dan publicly supported him.
10 Eddie And Dan Immersed Themselves In Wall Street
Highly-esteemed actors understand the importance of learning new things that help them to get into character.
Upon researching the tricks of trading, in preparation for filming Trading Places, Dan and Eddie were struck by trading's fast-paced nature, to the point where Dan said they found themselves "affected by the adrenaline" of the film's plot.
There's nothing like having a work bestie!
9 The Pair's Plots Were Parallel In Their Feature Film
There's no doubt that Eddie and Dan's friendship flourished while they acted in the film together! Filming a movie like Trading Places, where the characters had plotlines that allowed the two actors to play off each other, set the stage for a strong friendship. It also gave them the power to express their individuality and shine in shared scenes!
When Trading Places was released in 1983, moviegoers were pleased by Eddie and Dan's ability to work together, with parallel plotlines.
8 Eddie And Dan Both Shared This Career Milestone
Some may call it fate or divine intervention! Eddie and Dan's friendship wouldn't have existed if not for their mutual career milestone: being early cast members on Saturday Night Live.
Dan revealed that Eddie was discovered by a producer whom he admired on set, back in the Eighties, which was one of SNL's most prominent eras. Without Jean Doumanian's influence, would their friendship exist?
7 Eddie Was A 'Ghost' In Dan's Noted Masterpiece
Eddie's best bud, Dan Aykroyd, had a successful period in the early Eighties, following up Trading Places with the first installment of the classic Ghostbusters franchise a year later.
Despite the involvement of several of the era's most prominent names in comedy, Eddie's involvement in Ghostbusters wasn't big enough for him to be considered an official cast member.
6 Dan Wrote This Classic Film With Eddie In Mind
While Eddie never officially made it to the big screen as a member of the Ghostbusters cast, his influence was a factor in the movie's inception. According to Dan, an extremely early draft of the film, penned by him in 1981, featured his SNL castmate as an influence on its storyline!
Admiration for his friend's comedic talents turned out to inspire cinematic history!
5 Fame Made Eddie Unavailable For His Friend
Sometimes, taking a backseat to your friend's creative endeavors may be the best option, even if we're talking about iconic creative projects!
Eddie's involvement in his friend Dan's iconic Ghostbusters franchise didn't progress past the script page, but fans needn't fret: Eddie had a prior commitment on his calendar...a film of his own!
According to Yahoo,Beverly Hills Cop occupied his schedule.
4 Eddie And Dan Almost Weren't Paired Up For 'Trading Places'
The pairing of famous friends, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, made its theatrical debut in Trading Places, but the world almost missed out on seeing these two on-screen, because the project's powers-that-be had other ideas!
Two other big names were on the bill for Trading Places in the very beginning. Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder were originally slated to be the movie's stars.
3 The Duo Weren't Familiar With Their Co-Stars
Eddie and Dan's famous friendship wasn't without a few funny tales from other famous friendships!
The duo managed to avoid a potentially awkward situation with their co-stars on Trading Places. Eddie and Dan had no idea who their older co-stars, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, were. According to Mental Floss, the generation gap was present for Eddie and Dan, too!
2 Eddie And Dan Actually Caused Trouble On Wall Street
The influence of Eddie and Dan's buddy comedy, Trading Places, existed in the comedy universe, and it actually trickled into economic trading.
Eddie Murphy's character, Billy Ray Valentine, was a notable influence on Wall Street because of his character's plot, to the point where an official rule was created. According to Mental Floss, "The 'Eddie Murphy Rule'" went into effect after the film was released. The rule related to the usage of non-public information.
1 Eddie And Dan Were Never A Party Pair
Eddie and Dan weren't "Wild and Crazy Guys", to reference one legendary Saturday Night Live sketch!
The infamous Saturday Night Live cast members of the 1970s and 80s had a reputation for partying every night of the week, but drugs didn't phase Eddie and Dan, unlike certain members of the cast who openly struggled with substance abuse. Eddie has publicly discussed all of that.
Sources: Mental Floss, YouTube, New York Times, Spin Magazine, Esquire, Yahoo, IndieWire, National Post
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