Eddie Murphy Explains 2007 Oscars Exit

Eddie Murphy has revealed the real reason behind his early departure from the 2007 Academy Awards, dispelling years of speculation that he stormed out in anger after losing the Best Supporting Actor award. The actor, nominated for his portrayal of the troubled soul singer James "Thunder" Early in the musical Dreamgirls, left the ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles shortly after Alan Arkin won for his role in Little Miss Sunshine.

In an interview this week, Murphy, now 64, explained that his exit stemmed not from disappointment but from discomfort with the sympathy he received from fellow attendees. "What happened was I was at the Oscars, I had lost, and then people kept coming over to me and kept patting me on the shoulder," Murphy said. "Clint Eastwood came and rubbed my shoulder. And I was like, Oh, no, no, I'm not gonna be this guy all night. Let's just leave. I didn't storm out. I was like, I'm not gonna be the sympathy guy all night."

Murphy's performance in Dreamgirls, a film inspired by the rise of Motown and acts like The Supremes, earned widespread praise and marked his sole Oscar nomination to date. The movie, directed by Bill Condon and featuring Jamie Foxx,...