Eddie Murphy’s Daughter Bella Says His Strict Childhood Rule Fueled Her Acting Dream

Like many protective parents in Hollywood, Eddie Murphy had one major rule for his children: no acting jobs until they turned 18. And according to his daughter, Bella Murphy, that rule only made her want the spotlight even more.

The 24-year-old actress, who stars alongside Adam Sandler’s daughter, Sadie Sandler, in Roommates, opened up about her upbringing in a recent interview with PEOPLE.

Bella revealed that, growing up, she constantly begged her famous father to let her appear in his films, even if only as an extra. But Eddie always shut down the idea.

“I would always ask my dad, ‘Can I please be an extra in this movie, please?’ He’d always say, ‘No,’ ” Bella shared. According to her, the family rule was clear: no professional acting or work until the age of 18.

Looking back now, Bella says she appreciates the decision because it allowed her to enjoy a more normal childhood away from the pressures of Hollywood.

Still, the restriction had an unexpected effect. Instead of discouraging her, it made her even more obsessed with acting.

“That kind of made me even more obsessed with it,” she explained. “I was like, ‘Oh, I can’t do it now. So by the time that I am able to do it, I want to be as prepared as possible.’ ”

Bella channelled that passion into school plays and acting camps while waiting for her chance to enter the industry officially.

Her big break came in 2021, when she made her feature film debut alongside her father in Coming 2 America, the sequel to Eddie Murphy’s classic comedy.

Bella also credited her dad for inspiring her love of filmmaking from an early age. Visiting movie sets as a child gave her a firsthand look at how films were made, and she quickly became fascinated by the magic behind the scenes.

“I was like, ‘It’s the coolest job ever. I want to do that,” she recalled.