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Eddie Murphy

The Eddie Murphy of the early 1980s is pretty much gone; that much we need to make peace with. However, Murphy’s career has had its ups and downs, and at least one major comeback. He was one of the biggest stars of the '80s, with films such as 48 Hrs., Beverly Hills Cop, and Trading Places. After his 1988 comedy Coming to America made just under $130 million, Murphy had a dry spell for eight years, coming out with such clunkers as Vampire in Brooklyn and The Distinguished Gentleman. Then, in 1996, Murphy embraced one-half of his current persona: the actor who plays multiple characters. The Nutty Professor, a remake of the 1960 Jerry Lewis comedy, was a massive success, not only for Murphy’s dexterity in creating so many characters in the Klump family, but for its general hilarity. The movie made $130 million and elevated Murphy back into stardom.

Since then, he’s had his ups and downs, but has bankable aspects. Eddie Murphy helped make the Shrek films so popular, movies that have grossed more than $1 billion domestically, and also kick-started another franchise remake with the Dr. Dolittle films. Even Daddy Day Care made over $100 million. Of course, Murphy’s managed to mix hits like the Shrek franchise with some seriously major flops, including The Adventures of Pluto Nash (which made less than $5 million total at the domestic box office), Meet Dave (just over $11 million), and Imagine That (just over $16 million). Who can say what Murphy can do to remain consistent? The man can still get audiences to come to the theater, but when he picks bad movies, he picks just about the worst ones anyone would ever make. Let’s hope he doesn’t make a sequel to Norbit.

Mickey Rourke

Yes, I might be jumping the gun a bit, but like the story of Robert Downey Jr., I want this one to be true. After years of wallowing in movies that never get released widely, or are plain terrible, or just not acting, Mickey Rourke had a major career resurgence in the 2008 character study The Wrestler, about a man whose best times are in front of a crowd, and whose bad habits continually threaten to destroy him. Granted, Rourke’s not the only actor who could fit that description, but the role of Randy the Ram fit him like a glove. He got a well-deserved nomination for Best Actor, but lost to Sean Penn (but he really should have won). Since then, Rourke’s gotten plenty of interest, including as one of the villains in Iron Man 2. His few face-offs against Robert Downey, Jr., either in costume or not, are among the best scenes in the film.

Rourke’s had a majorly checkered past, but he’s also either very self-aware or has a very smart agent. His most notable recent roles, including the aforementioned films and his supporting work in Sin City, have played very heavily on the image he projects to the public. He’s a damaged man with a wounded soul, but that alone allows him plenty of sympathy, which is what makes his work in The Wrestler so poignant, and the very prospect of his career being given new life exciting. Rourke was once a tough, soulful performer, but now when we watch him, there’s plenty of experience informing those emotions. Even in Iron Man 2, where his work was more understated, Rourke’s performance stands out, not just for his tattoos and predilection for a feathered companion, but for the unvarnished angst that plays out on his storied face. We can only cross our fingers that he’ll keep on making his mark in Hollywood, just like he should’ve years ago.

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