Box Office Hit 'The Nutty Professor' Starring Eddie Murphy Turns 30 Today
1996 was an absolute dynamite year for movies in America. Among the most successful titles that year was The Nutty Professor, which premiered 30 years ago today, June 28, 1996.
A remake of the 1963 film of the same name starring Jerry Lewis, The Nutty Professor starred Eddie Murphy in the role of Professor Sherman Klump, an overweight but kind-hearted academic who has discovered a powerful weight-loss drug and uses it on himself in an attempt to impress Carla Purty, played by Jada Pinkett.
The movie, directed by Tom Shadyac, had a $54 million budget, but wound up quintupling that at the box office, raking in a reported $274 million worldwide. It was also the fifth-highest grossing movie domestically in 1996.
Murphy was the unquestioned star of the show
In total, the legendary actor and comedian plays seven characters, including Klump and his alter ego "Buddy Love." Murphy also portrays both of Sherman Klump's parents, his older brother, his maternal grandmother and fitness guru Lance Perkins, a parody of Richard Simmons.
Pinkett is the other focal point, but the cast also includes Dave Chappelle, Jamal Mixon, James Coburn, Larry Miller, John Ales, Ned Luke and Montell Jordan.
Not just a box office hit
In addition to making big bucks, The Nutty Professor earned solid critical reviews, including 3 out of 4 stars from Roger Ebert and a B+ from Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly. The Los Angeles Times, Time and Newsweek were among the other publications that offered praise.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Nutty Professorhas a 63% rating on the Tomatometer, as well as "generally favorable" reviews from critics and audiences on Metacritic.
The film's success was enough to inspire a sequel, 2000's Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, directed by Peter Segal and starring Murphy alongside Janet Jackson, who replaced Pinkett. The follow-up did not enjoy the same success at the box office or from critics as the original though.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2026 at 7:12 AM.