Entertainment

Eddie Murphy improvised one of the funniest lines in 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' in a scene with his real-life daughter

Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."
Bria Murphy (far left) and Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." Melinda Sue Gordon / Netflix
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Netflix's "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" is filled with laughs, but there's one joke in particular that was a family affair.

At the end of an action sequence in which Murphy's character Axel Foley is being chased while driving a police meter maid cart, Foley crashes on Rodeo Drive and is quickly apprehended by two female police officers. While being cuffed, Foley tells the officer it's "very embarrassing" what's happening. The officer, played by Murphy's eldest daughter Bria, responds, "You should have thought about that before your little joy ride."

Bria Murphy in a cop uniform
Bria Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."  Netflix

But what Foley is embarrassed about is being thrown into their unusually small squad car. "Ya'll are the LEGO cops," Foley says.

It's a line that director Mark Molloy told Business Insider was completely improvised by Murphy.

"That's all Eddie," Molloy said.

Small police car
That is a small police car.  Netflix

Molloy, who is making his feature directing debut with "Axel F," said that Murphy improvised several times, but it was often nothing more than little one-liners.

"He likes to get it on the page first," Molloy said. "We have to have something on the page first that really works, and then Eddie is going to take it from there."

Molloy said other improvisations from Murphy happened during the helicopter scene with costar Joseph Gordon Levitt and between Murphy and a valet played by comic Affion Crockett.

But how did Muphy's daughter end up playing one of the police officers?

Bria Murphy standing next to Eddie Murphy
Bria and Eddie Murphy at the world premiere of "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."  John Sciulli/Getty

"Eddie mentioned that his daughter would love to be involved," Molloy said. "And there was talk that it was going to be for another role, but I told him, 'If she's going to be involved, I have the perfect role for her.' I think she should arrest you!' So he gets arrested by his daughter."

Bria, 34, is Murphy's eldest daughter from his marriage with ex-wife Nicole Mitchell. Bria has previously starred in movies "The Perfect Match" (2016) and "Amateur Night" (2016).

"Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" is now streaming on Netflix.

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Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio is an award-winning entertainment correspondent at Business Insider and has covered various aspects of the film industry for over two decades. On the site, his reporting can range from what's going on behind the scenes at some of the biggest companies in Hollywood, colorful interviews with some of the most well-known names in entertainment, and exploring the darker side of the industry.In 2020, Jason received the New York Press Club award and Los Angeles Press Club award for his story on the rise and fall of MoviePass. It has since been made into the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash."Previous to BI, Jason was the managing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, one of the leading publications in the independent film industry. He's also written for numerous publications over the years, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Variety, and indieWire.Popular ArticlesMary Carole McDonnell built a true-crime empire. Then the FBI came for her. Growing up Marvel: The tormented life of Stan Lee's child, JC LeeA bullet. A legend. A lie. Bufford Pusser killed his wife, authorities say. What happens to his legacy now?