Eddie Murphy Returning To SNL To Celebrate 40th Anniversary

The prodigal Eddie Murphy is returning to "Saturday Night Live."

Murphy confirmed to TV One's "News One Now" Wednesday that he will join dozens of other alumni on Feb. 15, when the late-night institution celebrates its 40th anniversary with a three-hour prime-time blowout, 8-11, on NBC.

Murphy had not returned to the show since he left as a cast member in 1984. He almost immediately soared into movie stardom and has rarely looked back into television.

Rumors have circulated for years that Murphy had a grudge against the show, but he told News One Now that his absence had been a matter of "timing."

While Murphy was on the show for just four seasons, he created some of its most enduring characters, including his parodies of Buckwheat and Mister Rogers.

There have been no announcements on the full cast lineup for the Feb. 15 anniversary show, but the show's alumni roster covers many of the most famous comedians in the country, from Bill Murray and Billy Crystal to Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and more recent stars like Kristen Wiig and Seth Meyers.

While the original cast was known as the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," specials and spinouts from the show long since graduated into prime-time.

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