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Eddie Murphy does Bill Cosby impression for stand-up return

By Wade Sheridan
Actor Eddie Murphy and his longtime girlfriend, Australian model Paige Butcher arrive at the 87th Academy Awards at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2015. Murphy recently performed his first stand-up routine in 28 years after he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. During his set Murphy even brought out his famous Bill Cosby impersonation despite declining to do so during 'Saturday Night Lives' 40th anniversary special. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
1 of 3 | Actor Eddie Murphy and his longtime girlfriend, Australian model Paige Butcher arrive at the 87th Academy Awards at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2015. Murphy recently performed his first stand-up routine in 28 years after he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. During his set Murphy even brought out his famous Bill Cosby impersonation despite declining to do so during 'Saturday Night Lives' 40th anniversary special. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Eddie Murphy brought back his famous Bill Cosby impersonation for his first stand-up set in 28 years, after receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

"Bill has one of these," Murphy said of the award while performing at the Kennedy Center on Sunday night. "Did you all make Bill give his back? I know there was a big outcry from people they were trying to get Bill to give his trophies back. You know you f--ed up when they want you to give trophies back."

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"He should do one show where he just come out and talk crazy now," he continued before going into his popular Cosby impersonation. "I would like to talk to some of the people who feel that I should give back my motherf—ing trophies."

That was Murphy's first time telling a joke in front of a live audience in 28 years after becoming one of the most successful stand-up comics of the 1980s. The 54-year-old's Cosby impersonation was made famous during his live 1987 comedy smash, Raw. Murphy tried out his new routine in front of fellow comedians Arsenio Hall and Chris Rock according to The Washington Post.

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Murphy deciding to joke about Cosby comes days after the actor explained why he opted out of playing the troubled 78-year-old for Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary episode.

"If you get up there and you crack jokes about him, you're just hurting people. You're hurting him. You're hurting his accusers. I was like, 'Hey, I'm coming back to SNL for the anniversary, I'm not turning my moment on the show into this other thing,'" he said at the time.

Over 40 women have come forward to accuse Cosby of sexual assault. Recently it was announced that Cosby's deposition in a case filed by Judy Huth will be sealed from the public after a judge denied his attorneys' motion to end the case.

The award ceremony entitled Eddie Murphy: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize will air on PBS on Nov. 23.

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