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“Nutty Professor II: The Klumps”: Eddie Murphy Interview

 

Eddie Murphy almost didn’t get his most memorable roles. The producers of “The Nutty Professor” wanted to hire other actors to play the bickering Klump family in the 1996 hit. Murphy, ever the rebel, wouldn’t take no for an answer. He enlisted makeup magician Rick Baker to Klump him up, bringing to life Grandma and her brood. When Murphy showed the producers the results, they couldn’t resist. Movie history was made, creating the most talked-about scene of the year.

Murphy will be living large once again as Sherman Klump, this time bringing his whole fat, flatulent family out from behind the table and into the sequel, “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps.” Again, Murphy pads up to play six characters (five Klumps as well as the sinister Buddy Love) virtually becoming a one-man cast.

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With all torture you had to go through in the make-up chair, what made you decide to do it again?

Eddie Murphy: When people came up and talked about the first movie they always talked about the dinner scene. That was my favorite stuff in the first movie too, and I wondered what it would be like to take it a step further. When they asked me if I was up for another film, I said: “Sure!” We just had to find a story.

It felt like we just scratching the surface of what we could do in the first one. The characters are at a table, stuck just talking to each other. This time they come to life. Now, it’s real.

It’s amazing to watch the way the family interacts on screen. It’s easy to forget these characters are all you. How does it feel for you to watch?

Murphy: I laugh just the way you guys laugh. But I trip more about the special effects than the audience does because I’m there through the whole process. I’m there in the (make-up) chair and I’m talking to a tennis ball (used as a stand-in) by myself in every scene. Then they put the scenes together like a big jigsaw puzzle.

The audience isn’t supposed to think about that. You see the whole Klump family moving around and it’s just supposed to be some people interacting. But, I’m watching, saying, “Man, how’d they do that?”

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Sherman’s lovely love interest in this film is played by dance diva Janet Jackson. What do you remember most about working with Janet?

Murphy: That she always smells like she just jumped out of the shower. See how pretty her smile is? She smells the way her smile looks. It’s the smell of inner beauty. And when she smiles so big, it’s just so warm.

She’s a hard worker and a really good actress. As an actor, I trip about how much she gives you off camera. She’ll be in a scene where she’s on the other side of it, off camera, and she gives so much with her eyes. She’ll even cry. A lot of the stuff I did as Sherman, I was able to pull off because of all the emotional stuff she was giving me to play with.

Would you do it again? Will there be a “Nutty III”?

Murphy: [Laughs that Eddie Murphy laugh] We’ll just have to wait and see!

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You wanted more Klumps and you’ll get them when “Nutty Professor II” hits theaters Friday, July 28.

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