Comic 'years ahead of his time'

Eddie Murphy will receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

The actor – who is rumoured to be planning a return to stand-up – follows in the footsteps of Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and Tina Fey in accepting the accolade.

Murphy is enjoying renewed career interest following his brief appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary special. Beverley Hills Cop 4 is due out next year, and he is reported to be playing the father of Richard Pryor in a forthcoming biopic.

Pryor won the first Mark Twain award, handed out annually by Washington’s Kennedy Center to honour ‘one of the world’s greatest humorists’, since 1998.

The venue’s president, Deborah F. Rutter, said: ‘Through his appearances on Saturday Night Live, groundbreaking stand-up comedy, and work as a movie star, Eddie Murphy has shown that like Mark Twain, he was years ahead of his time.’

And Murphy said: ‘I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition from the Kennedy Center and to join the distinguished list of past recipients of this award.’

He will be honoured on October 18, in a ceremony which will be recorded for broadcast on American TV.

Published: 9 Apr 2015