Comedy has changed immensely since Eddie Murphy’s rise to stardom in the 1980s. The actor is a bit more introspective when reflecting on his stand-up career.
The longtime actor and comedian has a busy itinerary within the next year, including a reprisal of his leading role in a sequel to 1988’s Coming To America, a starring role as Rudy Ray More in Dolemite Is My Name!, and a hosting appearance for Saturday Night Live for the first time in 35 years.

Additionally, Murphy will record a new stand-up comedy special for Netflix, which will be his first since 1987’s Raw. Looking back to that stand-up, along with 1983’s Delirious, Eddie says he regrets some of the content in those specials.

“I was a young guy processing a broken heart, you know, kind of an a**h**e,” he told the New York Times, referencing a break-up he was going through as well as being picketed due to the homophobic material in his specials as recently as 1996. When looking back at his old material, especially the jokes about AIDS, Murphy said he cringed.

That said, Murphy seems to be anticipating a return to the stage in 2019.

He says his upcoming material will be reflective of his current situation. Being the father of eight children, Murphy reveals that his new comedy will be more than just about himself.

“I now have a whole lifetime of experiences to draw upon,” he said. “There was a time when I was at the center of everything, what I was doing, and how funny I was and how popular…I’m not at the center. Now my kids are and everything revolves around them.”

Read Eddie Murphy’s full interview with The Times here.