Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Saturday Night Live legend Eddie Murphy returned to guest host the sketch comedy show this weekend for the first time in 35 years.
Murphy, 58, starred in the series 1980-84, but left for a movie career featuring blockbusters like 48 Hrs., Trading Spaces, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Boomerang, Mulan, Shrek, Dreamgirls and Dolemite is My Name.
Murphy opened Saturday's edition of SNL with a monologue in which he joked about his life as the father of 10 children and mocked disgraced entertainer Bill Cosby.
He was also joined on stage by some of the successful comedians he inspired and influenced over the years, including Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Kenan Thompson, a current SNL cast member.
Throughout the episode, Murphy brought back some of his most famous characters including children's talk-show host Mr. Robinson; the enthusiastic, but difficult-to-understand Buckwheat; the angry, green Gumby; and the charming pimp and self-help author Velvet Jones.
