Over his legendary 50-year career, Eddie Murphy has crossed paths with some of the most iconic figures in entertainment — from Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson to Prince and Frank Sinatra — and has shared plenty of unforgettable stories about them.
But now, Murphy has finally shared one tale that had remained under wraps for nearly two decades — a touching behind-the-scenes moment involving Beyoncé during the filming of the 2006 movie adaptation of the Broadway classic Dreamgirls. Speaking on Complex’s 360 With Speedy podcast, Murphy reflected on the time in 2005 when he was filming the musical while going through a divorce from Nicole Murphy after 12 years of marriage.
“I was kind of on automatic pilot, and I don’t remember a lot about making the movie,” he admitted. The film — released in December 2006 — starred Jamie Foxx as a music executive modeled after Berry Gordy Jr., Beyoncé as Deena Jones (inspired by Diana Ross), and Murphy himself as James “Thunder” Early, a James Brown–like soul singer. His performance earned him his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
While filming, Murphy witnessed a sweet exchange that neither Beyoncé nor co-star Jennifer Hudson — who would go on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in her debut film role — likely remembers. “I watched Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé between shots. Jennifer was new to the business, and I noticed she had a little ash on her finger. She was licking her finger and rubbing it to get rid of it,” Murphy recalled, miming the gesture.
That’s when Beyoncé quietly stepped in. “Beyoncé grabbed Jennifer and said, ‘Oh girl, don’t do that. I’ll get you some cream,’” Murphy said with a smile. “It was just between the two of them, but I saw it.”
The moment, though small, stuck with Murphy all these years — a subtle but telling example of kindness and support between artists at very different stages of their careers.
Murphy is currently on a press tour for Amazon MGM Studios’ casino heist comedy The Pickup, starring alongside Pete Davidson, Eva Longoria, and Keke Palmer. But his newly shared story — Eddie Murphy Reveals Untold Story of Beyoncé’s Kind Gesture Toward Jennifer Hudson on the ‘Dreamgirls’ Set — is now making headlines for all the right reasons.