In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Eddie Murphy was one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, with a string of blockbuster hits like “The Nutty Professor,” “Mulan,” and “Shrek” under his belt. However, in the mid-2000s, Murphy suddenly seemed to disappear from the big screen. He took a break from acting that lasted several years, leaving many fans wondering what had caused his sudden retirement.

According to Murphy himself, the decision to take a break from acting was not due to a lack of opportunities or a decline in his popularity. In fact, he had been feeling burnt out and unfulfilled by the types of roles he was being offered. In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Murphy explained that he had been feeling like he was stuck in a rut, making the same kind of movies over and over again.

“I was just doing the same stuff, and I wasn’t getting the same thrill,” Murphy said. “I was just going through the motions, and I wasn’t really feeling it.”

Murphy also expressed frustration with the lack of creative control he had over his projects. As a major star, he felt like he was being pigeonholed into certain types of roles and was not being given the opportunity to explore more complex and challenging characters.

“I was just a cog in the machine,” Murphy said. “I wasn’t really able to do what I wanted to do.”

In addition to his creative frustrations, Murphy was also dealing with personal issues during this time. He had recently gone through a divorce and was struggling to balance his career and family life.

“I was just trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do,” Murphy said. “I was just trying to get my life together.”

Murphy’s break from acting lasted for several years, during which time he focused on his music career and spent time with his family. He eventually returned to the big screen in 2016 with the film “Mr. Church,” and has since appeared in a number of other projects, including “Dolemite Is My Name” and “Coming 2 America.”

In retrospect, Murphy’s decision to take a break from acting was a necessary one. It allowed him to recharge his creative batteries and refocus on his personal life. As he explained in his interview with The New York Times, “I’m just trying to do what makes me happy, and if that means not doing a movie for a while, then that’s what I’ll do.”