Eddie Murphy has been in the entertainment industry for decades, but it’s the quiet, behind-the-scenes moments that stay with him.
In a recent interview, the legendary actor opened up about a heartwarming memory involving Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson on the set of the movie Dreamgirls. And until now, he had never shared it with anyone.
A Soft Moment During a Tough Time
During his chat on 360 With Speedy on August 7, Eddie Murphy reflected on the time he was filming Dreamgirls back in 2005. It was a difficult period for him personally—his divorce from Nicole Murphy was ongoing, and he admitted that much of that time felt like a blur.
“I did Dreamgirls right when I was getting divorced,” he said. “I was kind of on automatic pilot, and I don’t remember a lot of making the movie.”
But one moment stood out clearly in his memory, and it involved Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson during a quiet break on set.
Beyoncé’s Thoughtful Gesture
Murphy recalled seeing a sweet interaction between the two singers, who were also new co-stars at the time. Jennifer Hudson, still new to the entertainment industry, was sitting on stage between scenes. She had some dry skin (what he described as “ashy”) on her fingers and was trying to clean it off by licking them.
That’s when Beyoncé, without making a big deal of it, stepped in kindly. She told Hudson, “Ooh girl, don’t do that. I’ll get you some cream.”
Murphy watched the moment quietly from a distance. “Neither one of them knows that I saw it,” he said. “And this might be the first time I’ve shared that with anyone. That’s my Beyoncé memory.”
The Dreamgirls Journey
Dreamgirls was a huge project based on the original 1981 Broadway musical. The film version, released in December 2006, featured a powerful cast.
Beyoncé played Deena Jones, Jennifer Hudson played Effie White, and Anika Noni Rose played Lorrell Robinson. The film also starred Jamie Foxx and Danny Glover.
The story follows the rise of a fictional girl group and the challenges they face, including power struggles and shifting roles. In the film, Effie is the lead singer at first, but is replaced by Deena under the influence of their manager Curtis (played by Jamie Foxx), which causes a lot of tension in the group.
Jennifer Hudson’s role as Effie was her breakout performance. She went on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2007 Oscars, where the movie received eight nominations in total.
Eddie Murphy’s story may seem like a small moment, but it reveals a lot about the people behind the scenes. It shows Beyoncé’s quiet kindness and Jennifer Hudson’s early struggles as she adjusted to fame.
These off-camera moments often reflect more honesty and heart than what we see on screen. And thanks to Murphy, fans now have a new, touching story to appreciate from the making of Dreamgirls.
