Eddie Murphy to Star in Peacock Drama 'The Chairman'
Eddie Murphy will headline Peacock's drama series The Chairman, written and executive produced by Matthew Weiner. Both also executive produce.
Eddie Murphy is set to star in The Chairman, a drama series in the works at Peacock. Matthew Weiner is writing and executive producing the project, which comes from 101 Studios and Universal Television. Murphy and Weiner will both serve as executive producers.
The role marks a notable first for Murphy: despite a film career of roughly 40 movies since 48 Hours, he has never headlined a scripted series. He first broke through as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
Murphy's television track record behind the camera dates back to the 1990s, when he created the animated comedy The PJs for Fox and The Royal Family for CBS.
For Weiner, the Peacock project is his first series pickup since The Romanoffs at Amazon in 2018. Deadline reported the news.
101 Studios struck a deal with NBCUniversal last year, beginning in January of this year. On the film side, Murphy's Netflix documentary Being Eddie, directed by Angus Wall, was released last year, following the features The Pickup and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. His next film, Shrek 5, is set for release next year.
Quick answers
What is Eddie Murphy's new Peacock series?
It is a drama series called The Chairman, with Matthew Weiner writing and executive producing.
Who is making The Chairman?
The series is produced by 101 Studios and Universal Television, with Eddie Murphy and Matthew Weiner executive producing.
Has Eddie Murphy headlined a TV series before?
No. He has starred in around 40 movies since 48 Hours but has never headlined a scripted series.