Did Eddie Murphy Inspire Jordan Peeles Get Out?
Millennials know Eddie Murphy best the series of blockbuster hits he starred in during the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s, from Coming to America to the Nutty Professor films to Shrek. But before the actor became a movie star, he found success in other areas of the entertainment industry.
Along with his career as a disco singer, Murphy was also a successful stand-up comedian. He rose to fame on Saturday Night Live, where he was a regular cast member between 1980 and 1984. In 1983, he released his stand-up special concert Delirious.
While talking about the difference between Black and white people in horror movies, Eddie Murphy unknowingly inspired a future director: Jordan Peele. There were a few different factors that inspired Peele to come up with his 2017 film Get Out, and Murphy’s comedy skit was reportedly one of them.
Keep reading to find out what Eddie Murphy said that inspired Jordan Peele to write and direct Get Out.
What Is Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’?
In 2017, Jordan Peele released his directorial debut, a horror film he wrote called Get Out. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams, the movie follows Chris, an African-American man who goes to visit his white girlfriend’s family, the Armitages, for the first time.
He notices things are a little strange at the Armitages' country estate, eventually discovering that they have been kidnapping Black people and implanting other people’s brains in their bodies. This allows other people — wealthy, white people — to control the Black people’s bodies.
The Eddie Murphy Stand-Up That Inspired 'Get Out'
Interestingly, some of the inspiration behind Get Out came from the most unlikely of places: a comedy skit. Jordan Peele revealed in an interview with ET that he watched comedy legend Eddie Murphy’s stand-up routineDelirious, in which he described the difference between white and Black people when faced with danger.
“Eddie Murphy was explaining the difference of how a white family and a Black family would react in a haunted house,” Peele explained.
In the skit, Murphy points out that the white family from The Amityville Horror film stayed in the haunted house even after the ghost told them to leave. He then added if a Black family had been told to “get out,” they would vacate straight away.
The Key Moment In 'Get Out' Inspired By Eddie Murphy
In particular, there is one part of the film — as well as its title — that comes directly from Murphy’s skit.
One of the victims of the Armitages, Andre Logan King, is briefly released from his sedated state long enough to warn Chris that he’s in danger. After Chris tries to record him and accidentally sets the flash on his phone off, Andre gets control of his body back long enough to tell Chris to “get out.”
Other Inspiration Behind ‘Get Out’
While talking to ET, Jordan Peele opened up about the other inspirations behind Get Out, explaining that he was unsettled by the consensus that racism was over in the United States after Barack Obama was elected as President.
“The story came from this period we were in the Obama administration when we were in this post-racial lie,” Peele said (via Cheat Sheet). “Race is over. We have a Black president. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
The Success Of ‘Get Out’
Get Out was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, cementing Peele’s place as one of the most popular horror directors in the world. Peele won an Academy Award for the film, while fans around the globe praised the film for its writing.
Jordan Peele's Next Projects
Get Out was Jordan Peele’s debut, and it certainly wasn’t the last time he delivered a super successful project. In 2019, he released his second film, Us, which grossed more than $255 million at the international box office.
The movie tells the story of the Wilson family who is attacked by figures dressed in red who look just like them. They soon learn that the figures are the Tethered, their doppelgangers who share a soul with their real-life counterparts and have come to kill them.
As the film goes on, it is revealed that the Tethered were created by the government in a failed experiment to control their counterparts.
Us was also a critical success, earning positive reviews for its screenplay, direction, and the performance of the film’s star Lupita Nyong’o, who portrayed the main character, Adelaide Wilson.
In July 2022, Peele is set to release his next film Nope, in which Daniel Kaluuya will also be starring. The movie will be set in California, where a mysterious force will affect the behavior of humans and animals.
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