American Stand-up Comedian Eddie Murphy chosen to host the 84th Oscars in February 2012

American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician, Eddie Murphy was chosen to host the 84th Academy Awards/ Oscars  in February 2012. The hosting of the Oscars in 2011 by the dramatic actors Anne Hathaway and James Franco had fallen flat with critics and viewers.

Murphy who made his film debut in 1982 would join the likes of Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Whoopi Goldberg, who are among the big names to have hosted the show.

The comedian Eddie Murphy’s films range from Beverly Hills Cop to voicing the smart-mouthed donkey in Shrek. Murphy's other works as a voice actor include Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu in Disney's Mulan.

Murphy also played multiple roles in Coming to America, Wes Craven's Vampire In Brooklyn, the Nutty Professor films, Bowfinger, and 2007's Norbit.

Eddie Murphy had earned his Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Dreamgirls in 2006.

Box office takes from Murphy's films make him the second-highest grossing actor in the United States. He was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and has worked as a stand-up comedian. He was ranked 10 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time.

He received Golden Globe Award nominations for his performances in 48 Hrs, Beverly Hills Cop series, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of soul singer James Thunder Early in Dreamgirls.