Eddie Murphy at Top of List to Host 84th Academy Awards

According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, Eddie Murphy is emerging as a leading candidate to host the 84thAcademy Awards.

Brett Ratner and Don Mischer, who are producing the awards, haven't yet sat down with Academy officials to present their choice for host, but Ratner, who has just finished directing Murphy in "Tower Heist," is said to be interested in Murphy for the job.

Ratner and Mischer are scheduled to meet with Academy president Tom Sherak after the Labor Day. The Academy had hoped to finish the host-finding process by mid-September, but it appears that a decision could now come earlier than that.

Billy Crystal, who hosted the Oscars eight times between 1990 and 2004 is another name that's been circulating. Crystal himself has said he'd be interested in returning.

Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his work in the 2006 musical Dreamgirls. And he's made several other appearances on the show: He took part in presenting the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis in 2009, presented best picture in 1988 and best visual effects in 1983.

Eddie Murphy's comic talent was evident from an early age. By 15 he was writing and performing his own routines at youth centers, local bars, and his high school auditorium. Eventually, Murphy made it to a Manhattan showcase, The Comic Strip. In 1980, at the age of 19, Murphy joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live," where he quickly became a featured player. By the end of his first season, he had moved up to star status. Murphy went on to have a successful stand-up and film career that has spanned 30 years and includes box-office hits such as "48 Hrs.," "Delirious," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Raw," "Trading Places," "Coming to America," "The Nutty Professor" and "Shrek" franchises,

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