Eddie Murphy Headlines The Chairman: A Television Pivot

He’s been a movie star for decades—now Eddie Murphy is stepping into uncharted TV territory. For the first time in his career, the Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America icon will take the lead role in a scripted television series: The Chairman.

Written and executive produced by Matthew Weiner, the mind behind Mad Men, The Chairman is in development at Peacock. Little has leaked about the plot, but Weiner’s involvement alone reframes expectations. He hasn’t shepherded a new series into production since Amazon’s The Romanoffs in 2018, and his track record—Mad Men, earlier work on The Sopranos—adds weight to even the quietest announcement.

This marks Murphy’s first starring role in a scripted TV drama, despite a long history in film and earlier television projects. He launched his career on Saturday Night Live, broke out on the big screen with films like 48 Hours, and has appeared in roughly forty movies since. Television fans will remember Murphy’s two 1990s series—The PJs, an animated comedy, and The Royal Family—but neither placed him as the central lead in a serialized drama.

The production team behind The Chairman is notable in its own right. Studio 101, the company associated with Yellowstone, is producing alongside Universal. Studio 101—run by David Glasser—recently expanded its slate after new deals and has credits that include Landman and MobLand. The collaboration between 101 and Universal marks a fresh alignment following last year’s agreements.

Murphy and Weiner will serve as executive producers together, a pairing that promises a blend of star power and auteur sensibility. That combination invites questions. Will Murphy lean into the comic sensibility that made him a household name? Will Weiner steer the material toward the slow-burn, character-driven drama his fans expect? The answers will determine whether this project becomes a reinvention or a logical extension of both men’s careers.

On screen, Murphy is far from idle: he recently returned to the spotlight with the Netflix documentary Being Eddie, directed by Angus Wall, and appeared in The Pickup, released on Amazon last year, as well as Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. His next stop is the animated world of Shrek 5, scheduled for release next year. Still, a lead turn in a prestige TV drama could be the most consequential move of his small-screen life.

Details remain scarce and Peacock has been tight-lipped about a release window. But when a performer of Murphy’s stature teams up with a writer-producer like Weiner, the industry pays attention. Could The Chairman be the unexpected chapter that redefines Murphy’s relationship with television? Only time—and the first trailer—will tell.