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Comedian Charlie Murphy remembered by fans and the famous

"Hope he and Prince are playing basketball and eating pancakes right now," one comedian writes of the death of the "Chappelle's Show" veteran.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read

Comedian and screenwriter Charlie Murphy, the older brother of Eddie Murphy, died Wednesday of leukemia at age 57, according to multiple media outlets.

Murphy starred in and wrote for "Chappelle's Show," where he was well-known for "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories."

In perhaps the most famous of those sketches, Charlie and Eddie Murphy meet up with singer Prince (played by show namesake Dave Chappelle), and a basketball game and pancake breakfast follow. Prince later confirmed the sketch was based on a true story, and that he and his band did beat Murphy on the court (though the "Purple Rain" singer says he wasn't the one who made the pancakes).

Murphy also appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, worked with hip-hop group K-9 Posse, did voiceover work and co-wrote the films "Norbit" and "Vampire in Brooklyn," both of which starred his brother Eddie.

"Our hearts are heavy with the loss today of our son, brother, father, uncle and friend Charlie," the Murphy family said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "Charlie filled our family with love and laughter and there won't be a day that goes by that his presence will not be missed. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and prayers. We respectfully ask for privacy during this time of great loss for all of us."

Murphy was remembered online by his fans and friends, which included many famous names.

Murphy's final tweet was a touching one, and has been retweeted more than 31,000 times, and liked more than 36,000 times.


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