Eddie Murphy has signed up for his first serious TV drama, written by the creator of Mad Men
Eddie Murphy will lead The Chairman, a Peacock drama from Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner — and the plot is being kept firmly under wraps.
Right, here's a pairing I didn't see coming: Eddie Murphy is heading back to proper telly with a new drama called The Chairman. This time, he's not just mugging for the camera or voicing a wisecracking donkey, but actually leading a scripted TV drama — and he's got Matthew Weiner (yes, the Mad Men bloke) writing the thing. It's being put together for Peacock, and if you heard the rumour going round last month, turns out it was spot on.
For anyone keeping score, Murphy did technically start his career on the small screen — Saturday Night Live — but this is the first time he's properly starring front and centre in a scripted series. He's dabbled plenty on TV before: co-created and voiced characters in stop-motion series The PJs, and created The Royal Family sitcom, which starred heavyweights like Redd Foxx and Della Reese. Still, The Chairman will be the first time he's headlining a drama that's not played for laughs, and I'd wager that's got a fair few people curious.
The Chairman marks Murphy's first ever lead role in a scripted TV drama.
Behind the Curtain: Little We Know
Not much in the way of plot or premise has been let slip about The Chairman — the whole thing's firmly under wraps for now. What we do know: Matthew Weiner is writing and executive producing, and after dropping what many consider one of the best shows of the last twenty years with Mad Men, that's not the worst pedigree you could ask for. Weiner's had a slightly rocky time since then; his anthology series The Romanoffs over at Amazon didn't catch on and was binned after one season back in 2018. Since then, he's kept a pretty low profile on the TV front, making this return a bit of an event for some telly enthusiasts.
On Murphy's Plate
If you're wondering what else Murphy's got coming, here's the situation: first up, he's on board for Shrek 5, voicing Donkey again after a long, long gap — the last one came out over 15 years ago. The main cast is all coming back: Mike Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Fiona. Couple of new names too: Zendaya voicing Felicia, Skyler Gisondo as Farkle, and Marcello Hernández as Fergus. Expect to see this lot back on screens come 30 June 2027.
- Shrek 5 (with Murphy as Donkey): set for release 30 June 2027
- Standalone Donkey origin film: cinemas on 30 June 2028
- Murphy also to play Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther flick blending live-action and animation
Donkey's even getting his own spinoff next — an origin story, of all things. Last summer, Murphy himself dropped a few hints about it, saying Donkey would get his 'own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys'. Allegedly, the script is heavy on the laughs, which, to be honest, you'd hope. The Donkey movie's aiming for a cinema release on 30 June 2028.
And if you're into iconic comedy detectives, Murphy's also been cast as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in a new take on The Pink Panther. The reported plot is, frankly, pretty bizarre — something about the Panther's live-action mates busting him out of his animated realm for a heist. We'll see how that goes.
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