| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | 48 Hrs. | Reggie Hammond | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor |
| 1983 | Trading Places | Billy Ray Valentine | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1984 | Best Defense | Lieutenant T.M. Landry | |
| Beverly Hills Cop | Detective Axel Foley | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1986 | The Golden Child | Chandler Jarrell | |
| 1987 | Beverly Hills Cop II | Detective Axel Foley | Also writer (story) |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Prince Akeem Joffer/Clarence/Randy Watson/Saul | Also writer (story) |
| 1989 | Harlem Nights | Quick (real name Vernest Brown) | Also director, writer, and executive producer
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director |
| 1990 | Another 48 Hrs. | Reggie Hammond | Also writer (story) |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Marcus Graham | Also writer (story)
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance |
| The Distinguished Gentleman | Thomas Jefferson Johnson | |
| 1994 | Beverly Hills Cop III | Detective Axel Foley | |
| 1995 | Vampire in Brooklyn | Maximillian/Preacher Pauly/Guido | Also producer, writer (story) |
| 1996 | The Nutty Professor | Professor Sherman Klump/Buddy Love
Lance Perkins/Cletus 'Papa' Klump
Anna Pearl 'Mama' Jensen Klump
Ida Mae 'Granny' Jensen/Ernie Klump, Sr. | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Comedy
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor (2nd place)
Saturn Award for Best Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1997 | Metro | Insp. Scott Roper | |
| 1998 | Mulan | Mushu | Voice role; Murphy's first animated film role
Nominated – OFTA Film Award
Best Family Actor
Online Film & Television Association 1999 |
| Dr. Dolittle | Dr. John Dolittle | |
| Holy Man | G | |
| 1999 | Life | Rayford "Ray" Gibson | Also producer, and writer (story). Last R-rated movie role to date for Murphy. |
| Bowfinger | Kit Ramsey/Jiffrenson "Jiff" Ramsey | Nominated – Black Reel Award: Best Actor
Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Comedy Team (shared with Steve Martin) |
| 2000 | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps | Professor Sherman Klump/Buddy Love
Lance Perkins/Cletus 'Papa' Klump
Anna Pearl 'Mama' Jensen Klump
Ida Mae 'Granny' Jensen/Ernie Klump, Sr./Young Cletus 'Papa' Klump | Also executive producer
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 2001 | Shrek | Donkey | Voice role
Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Feature Production
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Black Reel Award: Best Supporting Actor. |
| Dr. Dolittle 2 | Dr. John Dolittle | |
| 2002 | Showtime | Officer Trey Sellers | Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with either Robert De Niro, Owen Wilson or himself cloned) |
| The Adventures of Pluto Nash | Pluto Nash/Rex Crater |
| I Spy | Kelly Robinson |
| 2003 | Daddy Day Care | Charles "Charlie" Hinton | |
| The Haunted Mansion | Jim Evers | |
| 2004 | Shrek 2 | Donkey | Voice role |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | James 'Thunder' Early | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Black Reel Award: Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2007 | Norbit | Norbit Rice/Rasputia Latimore-Rice/Mr. Wong | Also writer (story and screenplay), producer
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (as Norbit)
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor (as Mr. Wong)
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress (as Rasputia)
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with either Eddie Murphy or Eddie Murphy)
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture |
| Shrek the Third | Donkey | Voice role
Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |
| 2008 | Meet Dave | Starship Dave Ming-Chang (Spacecraft), Captain | Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (in Eddie Murphy) |
| 2009 | Imagine That | Evan Danielson | Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor |
| 2010 | Shrek Forever After | Donkey | Voice role
Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |
| 2011 | Tower Heist | Darnell ("Slide") Davis | Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture |
| 2012 | A Thousand Words | Jack McCall | Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor |
| 2016 | Mr. Church | Henry Joseph Church | |
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Rudy Ray Moore | Post-production |
