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Humor & Life Quote by Eddie Murphy

"I'm relaxed about my career. I've been making movies for over 20 years, so I've earned at least the right to relax"

About this Quote

There is a sly flex hiding inside the calm. Eddie Murphy frames relaxation not as complacency but as compensation: a benefit accrued through longevity in an industry that treats even icons like disposable product. The line works because it sounds almost modest, then quietly insists on status. He is not begging to be taken seriously; he is declaring that he has already done the work that grants him leverage.

The intent is protective and strategic. Murphy, a comedian who became a blockbuster movie star at a rare speed, is talking like someone who knows the churn of Hollywood cycles: the way hype becomes backlash, the way youthful magnetism gets priced into your identity, the way a few underperforming projects can rewrite a legacy. “Relaxed” is a public posture that refuses the anxious performance of relevance. It signals he is opting out of the treadmill of constant reinvention and forced accessibility.

The subtext also pushes back on a particular expectation placed on comedians: that they must always chase the next laugh, the next headline, the next reinvention to prove they still “have it.” Murphy’s phrasing turns career longevity into moral proof. Twenty-plus years becomes a receipt, not a nostalgia trip.

Context matters: Murphy’s filmography spans meteoric highs, cultural ubiquity, and periods where the public narrative shifted from “unstoppable” to “past his prime.” This quote is a controlled reset of that narrative. He’s reminding you that the arc is his to manage now, and the privilege he’s claiming is simple but radical in show business: time, distance, and the right not to panic.

Quote Details

TopicCareer
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Murphy, Eddie. (2026, January 15). I'm relaxed about my career. I've been making movies for over 20 years, so I've earned at least the right to relax. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-relaxed-about-my-career-ive-been-making-movies-167365/

Chicago Style
Murphy, Eddie. "I'm relaxed about my career. I've been making movies for over 20 years, so I've earned at least the right to relax." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-relaxed-about-my-career-ive-been-making-movies-167365/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I'm relaxed about my career. I've been making movies for over 20 years, so I've earned at least the right to relax." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/im-relaxed-about-my-career-ive-been-making-movies-167365/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is a Comedian from USA.

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