Eddie Murphy Returning to 'SNL' for 40th Anniversary Special!

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Longtime Saturday Night Live fans are going to get the chance to see something that many thought might never happen: Eddie Murphy is returning to Studio 8H.

The actor and former SNL castmember revealed, during an interview with NewsOne Now's Roland Martin, that he is planning to make an appearance on SNL's upcoming 40th anniversary special.

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When asked about having never served as a guest host on the show since 1984, Murphy said it wasn't about animosity with the show.

“It’s just timing. It never worked out where the timing was right for me to do it," Murphy said. "Actually, they are having a 40th anniversary, I think, in two weeks. I’m going to that. That will be the first time I have been back since I left."

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Murphy's big break came when he was cast as a series regular on SNL in 1980. At that time, the sketch comedy show had been on for five years, and its popularity had plummeted.

Many credit Murphy for not only keeping the show on the air, but for the show's reemergence as a cultural touchstone in the early '80s.

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However, Murphy has long since refused to return to the show in any capacity. He was one of the only major cast members not to participate in SNL's 25th anniversary special, and he also declined to be interviewed for Tom Shale's comprehensive book Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live.

It seems that whatever was keeping Murphy from returning to the hallowed halls at Rockefeller Center has fallen by the wayside.

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For more SNL fun, check out the video below for a look at Bobby Moynihan's mind-blowing fan theory about the show's Weekend Update characters.

You can follow Zach Seemayer on Twitter @ZachSeemayer for more fun SNL news.

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