- Title: The Nutty Professor
- Year of Release: 1996
- Director: Tom Shadyac
- Produced by:Brian Grazer & Russell Simmons
- Major Actors/Actresses: Eddie Murphy as Professor Sherman Klump/ Buddy Love
Murphy also plays Papa Cletus Klump (Sherman’s father), Mama Anna Klump (Sherman’s mother), Granny Klump (Sherman’s Grandma), Ernie Klump, Sr. (Sherman’s brother) and Lance Perkins, a parody of Richard Simmons
Jada Pinkett as Carla Purty, James Coburn as Harlan Hartley, Larry Miller as Dean Richmond, Dave Chapelle as Reggie Warrington, John Ales as Jason, Jamal Mixon as Ernie Klump Jr, Montell Jordan as himself
Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor would be an interpreter actor as he is able to “take material and put his own stamp on it” as he did playing Professor Klump in this film as a completely different person, personality and physique. In the Table scene of this movie Murphy is playing all characters except the son which is amazing and shows how controversial he is. He would also be a character actor as well because he is “able to fit invisibly into a wide variety of disparate characters, adapting to the needs of each script and director they work with”. (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014) In the scene where he apologizes to Pinkett as Buddy, he plays a more genuine role and himself as a man in love. However, Eddie Murphy can play lots of characters as he also has played a cop in Beverly Hills Cop and a prince in Coming to America so you never know what kind of character he will be playing.
Jada Pinkett Smith also plays a major role in this movie as a personality actor because she is able to play pretty much any part thrown her way however, she plays more sentimental roles. In the clip below from the movie she plays a pretty girl whom Murphy is fantasizing about. Pinkett has also played hard core in “Set It Off” as a bank robber and comedy in “Low Down Dirty Shame” so I would say she is also a character as well.
Now Dave Chappell is an impersonator all the way. He started off being a comedian and continued with impersonating people all over the world including in this film with his standup comedy scene. He too has played in a variety of comedies like Half Baked which he was also a little softer in as he was in love in this movie and Block Party.
Each of these actors play a major role in film and are stars to me however Eddie Murphy will forever be a comedian, interpreter and character actor because majority of his films are created around him either switching to a new character or being a voice to a character like Donkey in Shrek.
References:
Dave Chappelle In The Nutty Professor. YouTube. Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ8K0UpHEec
Goodykoontz, B. & Jacobs, C.P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Half Baked (6/10) Movie CLIP – A Cheap Date With Mary Jane (1998) HD. YouTube. Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHPnUPFcxdE
Set it Off- Sad scene- tee tee gets murdered. YouTube. Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsJi0NnncHs
Shrek – That’s what friends are for. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzLEjzvygYE
The Nutty Professor – Eddie Murphy Table Scene OFFICIAL HD VIDEO. You Tube. Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F01j4WWOLnA
The Nutty Professor (5/12) Movie CLIP – Heavy Kissing (1996) HD. YouTube: Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxqfCmo2drM
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