Myers and Murphy voice Shrek and Donkey, respectively, in the 'Shrek' franchise
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NEED TO KNOW
- Mike Myers wore full Shrek makeup to honor Eddie Murphy at a recent AFI ceremony, calling him “the best”
- Myers spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about the act while attending the premiere of Michael in Hollywood, Calif.
- The actor has previously recalled being too intimidated to speak to Murphy when they first met back in the 1990s
Mike Myers is revealing the inspiration behind his recent outing as Shrek.
While attending the L.A. premiere of the movie Michael in Hollywood, Calif., Myers, 62, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about why he decided to don a full face of Shrek makeup while honoring Eddie Murphy at the AFI ceremony in L.A. on April 18.
“I did it for him because, honest to God, he's the best,” Myers said of longtime friend Murphy, 65.
“And I just wanted to do something silly, and AFI is such a fantastic organization,” he continued, adding, “Eddie's just such a lovely man. It was just a fantastic time.”
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Myers and Murphy voice the characters of Shrek and Donkey, respectively, in the now-iconic animated Shrek franchise.
Myers sang Murphy’s praises when he spoke onstage at the AFI event.
"None of Shrek's success could have happened without Eddie Murphy,” Myers said in the speech, per video from the event that was shared on Reddit.
“Eddie's character Donkey is a masterpiece, as is every character that Eddie has created over the years. Lovable, hilarious, joyous, vulnerable and loyal — Eddie combines all of those in a tour de force, and plainly put, Eddie is one of the greatest.”
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty
“Obviously, I never got to work with Charlie Chaplin, I never got to work with Alec Guinness, I never got to work with Peter Sellers, but it is my absolute honor to say I'd be able to tell my kids that I got to work with Eddie Murphy,” Myers continued.
On the red carpet before the event, Myers told PEOPLE that he "didn't say a word" the first time he ever met Murphy in the early 1990s.
Credit: Dream Works Animation/Kobal/Shutterstock
"I was too intimidated. I am a site-specific extrovert. When I have to be an extrovert, I can summon it. But in the presence of somebody as talented as that, it's very hard to not just turn into Chris Farley when I ask him questions and stuff,” Myers said, referring to the famous SNL sketch in which a star-struck Farley peppered celebrities with mundane questions.
"He could not be more gracious and generous," Myers continued while describing Murphy.
Myers and Murphy have worked on four Shrek films together. They will also both star in Shrek 5, which is scheduled to hit theaters on June 30, 2027.
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