When I first started, it was a dare. Someone basically said, 'You're a tough guy... but I'll bet you won't get on a microphone in front of a bunch of people.' I was terrified, but I did it. Once I broke the ice and got onstage and got some laughs, I thought, 'That's not so bad.'

Charlie Murphy

Categorized in : You Bad People Tough

I think I have had a remarkable and colorful life, so I decided to share it.

Charlie Murphy

i-think think colorful life

I respect everybody. You don't have to earn my respect. You earn my disrespect.

Charlie Murphy

earn you disrespect respect

If you want to laugh, see a comedy. If you want to cry, see a drama, and if you want suspense, see a thriller.

Charlie Murphy

laugh you cry comedy

I was a bodyguard for somebody I love. That's not a good combination. I was always ready to beat somebody up.

Charlie Murphy

beat good always love

I don't need to wait for someone else to get a bright idea and say, 'I wanna work with this guy.' I can do my own thing and drop it right on the Web and bypass you and your bright idea.

Charlie Murphy

wait you my-own work

I've never felt like I was living in anyone's shadow. My life was what it was.

Charlie Murphy

my-life never shadow life

If you can't laugh at yourself, you don't deserve to laugh at anybody else.

Charlie Murphy

laugh yourself you deserve

I used to irritate people. I'd give them a hard time, and when it drove them crazy, that was funny to me.

Charlie Murphy

me time funny people

I like to tease people. I hate when people do it to me, though.

Charlie Murphy

like me hate people

While I have been to Switzerland, Stockholm, and other parts of Europe and Canada, I don't have a specific place that is my favorite. I just represent Earth.

Charlie Murphy

place switzerland canada earth

The whole thing with the Rick James story sketch and the Prince story sketch - I recounted my past, you know? - and that's what I was doing. It's not like I sat down and said I want to come up with a great story about Rick James. That stuff really happened.

Charlie Murphy

sketch great you past

Gangs are formed by kids who want love.

Charlie Murphy

gangs who want love

One thing helps the other. My stand-up helps my writing; my writing helps my stand-up; my stand-up helps my acting. They're all interlocked.

Charlie Murphy

thing one-thing acting writing

Other comedians got love for me. But don't get it twisted - I'm not a clown, I'm a comedian and work hard as an artist. Clowns go to college.

Charlie Murphy

work-hard me work love

I was the dude you didn't wanna go to school with, because I would come to school and get on your shoes. If you had a hole in your pants, I'd talk about it all day long. If your hair was messed up, if you had buck teeth, I'd talk about it all day long. And I made people laugh doing it, but it wasn't like I thought I was a comedian.

Charlie Murphy

day you shoes people

There's a lot of racism when I was in the Navy, and I had to deal with that.

Charlie Murphy

deal had navy racism

I don't hang out with soft cats.

Charlie Murphy

hang soft cats out

I have a very good talent at finding out exactly what it is about yourself that you don't like and then keep bringing it up.

Charlie Murphy

yourself good you talent

When I was nine, my father passed away. It's one thing when you're a kid and your father wasn't there for you. My father was there, and then he was taken away.

Charlie Murphy

your kid you father

When you don't have money, you fall under the influence of anybody who has the appearance of having it.

Charlie Murphy

you influence money fall