In the 1984 action comedy "Beverly Hills Cop," Eddie Murphy plays streetwise Detroit detective Axel Foley. Foley travels to Beverly Hills after the murder of his friend and uses improvisation, humor, and sharp investigative instincts to pursue the killers.
The role established Murphy as a major international film star. Foley's fast-talking confidence contrasts with the more conventional Beverly Hills police officers played by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton, creating the buddy-cop tension at the heart of the movie.
The film began as a more straightforward action project. Its tone changed substantially during development, and Murphy's comic style became central to the finished version. Martin Brest directed the movie, while Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson produced it for Paramount.
Viewers sometimes confuse Foley with the supporting police characters, especially Billy Rosewood or John Taggart, but Murphy is the sole actor playing the Detroit protagonist. The success of the original led to sequels in 1987 and 1994, and Murphy returned as Foley in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" in 2024.