How Eddie Murphy Made Sure His Children Had 'A Normal Childhood'

Eddie Murphy laid down the law early as a father, instituting a strict rule that would force his then-9-year-old daughter to wait another nine years before she could fulfill her dream.

In an interview with People, the legendary comedian's daughter, Bella Murphy, revealed that she had known since she was a little girl that she wanted to be an actress. But it wasn't simply Bella trying to follow in her famous father's footsteps. Not at first.

Bella told the outlet that she first wanted to be an actress because she wanted to copy her big sister, Bria Murphy.

"She wanted to be an actress before I did, and I was doing the younger sister, like 'I'm going to copy you,' " Bella says, via People. "And then it worked out. It was actually what I wanted to do, so that was cool."

Bella says she grew up going to her father's movie sets, and at 9 years old, she realized acting was her calling. But getting into the family business proved much more difficult, thanks to her father's strict rule.

"I would always ask my dad, 'Can I please be an extra in this movie, please?' He'd always say, 'No,' " Bella told People.

The strict rule may have been a bummer at the time, but Bella realized later on that her father was only looking out for her best interests.

Bella added, "We have a rule that we can't act or work until we're 18 in this industry, so he really wanted me to have a normal childhood, which I'm very appreciative of."

Bella made her film debut in the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America. Bella, who is Eddie and his ex-wife Nicole Mitchell's youngest daughter, didn't automatically land the gig just because her father headlined the film.

Far from it.

"I wasn't musclin' my kid into the movie," Eddie Murphy told Good Morning America in February 2021. "She had to really be able to deliver. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten the role.

Bella, now 24, is ready to shine and make a name for herself. She stars in the Netflix film Roommates, alongside actresses with famous fathers: Chris Rock's daughter, Zahra, 21, Martin Scorsese's daughter, Francesca, 26, and Adam Sandler's daughter, Saddie, 20.

No word if those famous fathers also had strict rules when it came to their children acting.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 12:33 PM.