Eddy Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. Eddie's parents split up when Eddie was three, and his mother contracted tuberculosis a year later. While their mother was sick and recuperating, Eddie and his older brother, Charlie, were put into a foster home with a Ms Jenkins for approximately 18 months. Eddie Murphy rose to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has also worked as a stand-up comedian and was ranked No. 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time. In some films he plays multiple roles in addition to his main character; this is intended as a tribute to one of his idols, Peter Sellers.