Noah Wyle says Eddie Murphy told him to “f— off” when he asked for an autograph as a kid

Here's a great one for anyone who's ever queued up for an autograph and wondered what the celebs are really like when the Sharpies come out. Noah Wyle—he's the bloke playing Dr Michael Robinavitch on the new hospital drama The Pitt—has just revealed one of those character-defining showbiz stories about being snubbed by a hero as a kid. The story comes courtesy of Amy Poehler's podcast, Good Hang. And honestly, it's one of those tales that makes you both wince and laugh at how ridiculous the business can be.

Noah Wyle told the podcast that when he was nine, he once approached Eddie Murphy for an autograph, saying he liked him on SNL, only for Murphy to respond, 'What are you doing up that late?' before telling him to 'F--- off, man.'

It takes a certain amount of nerve to dash a child's dreams with language that would make your nan faint, even if you do have an entourage and a record deal. At any rate, the incident seems to have made a pretty big impression on young Wyle—enough that it's stuck with him three decades later while he's signing photographs in hospital corridors (on TV, I mean, not in real life... though honestly, who's to say).

A Different Approach

Here's what makes the story genuinely interesting: Wyle could've let this early brush-off turn him into one of those actors who sign autographs with all the enthusiasm of a tax audit. Instead, he went the complete other way. As he told Poehler, every time he's approached by a young fan for his signature, he signs it 'so fast.' He's basically made it his unofficial policy not to be That Bloke from His Own Childhood Memory.

On the podcast, Wyle added that he always signs an autograph for nine-year-olds, explaining, 'Whenever a 9-year-old needs an autograph from me, I sign that so fast.'

The Best Birthday In-Joke

Apparently, this whole tale has become a bit of family lore. Wyle said he shared the story with his family recently, which led to a standout birthday surprise. His daughter, aged ten, decided to create her own version of the ultimate autograph. She printed out a photo of Eddie Murphy, scribbled 'Dear Noah, you're a great kid, Eddie Murphy' on it (spelling Eddie as 'E Dy', which is just perfect), and had it framed for her dad's office. Touching, genuinely funny—and she's probably going to get plenty of autographs in her life with stories like these going round the dinner table.

It gets even better: his daughter and her mum had apparently run into Eddie Murphy the previous day (talk about life handing you a punchline), and told Noah they'd even managed to get the real deal autograph. The framed picture, with its charmingly misspelled name, is now proudly displayed in Wyle's office.

The framed Eddie Murphy autograph, faked up by his daughter, now hangs in Noah Wyle's office as 'the greatest gift.'