Who played Gumby on "SNL"?

Eddie Murphy played Gumby on “Saturday Night Live.”

Murphy portrayed a sarcastic, adult version of Gumby during his celebrated run as an SNL cast member in the early 1980s. The character was based on the stop-motion clay figure created by animator Art Clokey, but Murphy transformed the gentle children’s character into a loud, impatient comic persona. His recurring line, “I’m Gumby, dammit!”, became one of the show’s recognizable catchphrases.

Murphy joined Saturday Night Live in 1980 at age 19 and quickly became one of its most prominent performers. Alongside Gumby, he created or popularized characters such as Buckwheat and Mr. Robinson. His performances helped stabilize and revitalize the program during a period of major cast turnover.

A common mix-up is attributing Gumby to another SNL performer because the character appeared in ensemble sketches and returned in later episodes. The signature SNL version, however, is specifically associated with Murphy. Art Clokey and his son reportedly admired Murphy’s interpretation of the character.