‘I Quit’: Why Eddie Murphy’s Career as a Shoe Salesman Never Took Off

Comedian turned actor Eddie Murphy is a Hollywood A-lister is whose outstanding gift as an actor has made him one of the world’s biggest stars. Over the past four decades, the New York native has been able to pick and choose the type of work he wants to do. It seems that has always been the case for the go-getter, whose estimated net worth is $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. EddieMurphy, 2021 (YouTube screenshot, The Late Late Show with James Corden, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITAkR27ubAQ) Gave Up Shoes During a 2019 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” he recounted to the host and fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum one of his early jobs as a shoe salesman in Long Island. He took on this part-time gig while attending Nassau Community College and performing stand-up comedy in the late ’70s. At just 17, his comedic prowess was already making waves. Performing at adult spots like The Winner’s Circle, a Westbury nightclub, promoters advertised him in a local paper as a comic “considered by many the funniest man in the U.S.” according to Newsday. Fallon talked about his work history and later brought up Murphy’s stint at a shoe store during...