From 1980 until 1984 he was a cast member of Saturday Night Live. He made the Comedy Central List of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his acting in 48 Hrs, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and his Beverly Hills Cop movies. In 2007 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in Dreamgirls.