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Eddie Murphy, who sizzled in his portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore in “Dolemite Is My Name,” dropped by “The Late Show” Friday night to talk movies, his upcoming gig hosting Saturday Night Live and Barack Obama.
READ MORE: Eddie Murphy on playing Rudy Ray Moore in ‘Dolemite Is My Name’: ‘He wasn’t a genius’
When Murphy received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2015, it was President Obama who surprised him by asking him two questions: when he was coming back to standup, and what dye he used in his hair, according to The Huffington Post.
“It’s a great picture I have of me talking to him in the White House … and it looks like we’re having this thing, and at that moment he’s going, ‘so, what kind of rinse do you use?’” Murphy told Stephen Colbert. “I was like, what?”
Murphy said he is several months older than Obama but still gets gray hairs in his mustache and nose. Those he just cuts out, he said.
Murphy’s star continues to rise with his electric performance in Dolemite, which is in theaters and playing on Netflix. Fans also eagerly await his hosting job at SNL in December, where he said he may revive old character favorites like Gumby, Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood. “I would imagine yes,” Murphy told Colbert, who asked him if he missed playing those roles. “I don’t miss (it), but I’m looking forward to going back and doing that stuff, but I hope it’s funny.
“I always wanted it to be funny, as funny as it can be,” Murphy said. “SNL is such a big part of who I am. I don’t want to go back after 35 years and they say oh it was alright.”
Murphy said he started doing standup at 15 and when Colbert asked if his mom was ok with it, Murphy shot back: “Ummm yes, when I started bringing them checks home.”
READ MORE: Eddie Murphy talks about making his comeback with…well, comic timing
Next year, Murphy is also slated to revive his stand-up career, and he will soon begin shooting the second installment of “Coming to America,” a cult-classic that also starred Arsenio Hall.
Thanks for asking, Obama!