When news surfaced that Eddie Murphy decided to break a 35-year performance hiatus and host tonight's episode of Saturday Night Live, followers of the comic genius couldn’t contain their excitement.

Often credited with saving the show, Eddie quickly became a fan-favorite thanks to his hilarious segments, including his iconic “James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party” skit.

"It is not too much to say that Eddie Murphy, more or less single-handedly, brought SNL back from the brink of dimly remembered cult status," media analyst Bill Carter wrote for CNN.

As a popular SNL cast member from 1980 to 1984—joining the show when he was still just a teenager—it was no denying Eddie’s presence was missed after he opted to pursue his movie career full-time. 

RELATED | Eddie Murphy’s 10 Greatest SNL Moments

It has been reported that tensions between SNL and Eddie ensued after comedian David Spade referred to Eddie as “a falling star,” during his 1995 Hollywood Minute segment. 

This allegedly resulted in Eddie refusing to participate in the comedy show's anniversary episodes, although he did make a brief appearance in 2015.

"What really irritated me about it at the time was that it was a career shot," Eddie told Rolling Stone in 2011.

Thankfully, as you know, time heals.

Returning to Studio 8H with his 1,000-watt smile and unique ability to make any performance hilarious, the now 58-year-old did not disappoint. Murphy's skits included cameos from Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Maya Rudolph.

Keep scrolling to see the most memorable moments from the historic night on SNL.