Donnell Rawlings became visibly emotional while reflecting on the loss of Charlie Murphy on a recent appearance on the We in Miami podcast.
During the March 12 episode, Rawlings was asked what it was like when Murphy passed away in 2017. His response quickly turned emotional as he described Murphy as more than just a colleague.
“It was very difficult, because it was like the big brother that I never had,” Rawlings said before pausing to wipe tears from his eyes.
Rawlings and Murphy built their friendship through years of working together in comedy, most notably on Chappelle's Show. The groundbreaking sketch series created by Dave Chappelle helped turn Murphy into a cultural icon thanks to his unforgettable storytelling segments, while Rawlings also became a familiar face to audiences through recurring roles and appearances.
Reflecting on Murphy’s personality, Rawlings described him as someone who rarely showed vulnerability. “When you talk about a man's man, like, with integrity and morals, who never made an excuse for anything… I’ve never seen Charlie sad about anything,” Rawlings said.
The comedian also explained that the only time he ever witnessed Murphy show visible emotion was during a difficult moment in his personal life.
“The only time I ever saw Charlie show any emotion other than being a super-hard tough guy is when he was losing his wife. He cried on the phone with me,” Rawlings recalled. “I’ve never seen him emotional, or vulnerable, or anything. And it was weird. Because I only know him as like, ‘yeah.’”
Murphy died on April 12, 2017, at the age of 57 after battling leukemia. The illness had largely been kept private.
Beyond his work on Chappelle’s Show, Murphy was also widely known as the older brother of Eddie Murphy and had been touring alongside fellow comedians, including Cedric the Entertainer, shortly before his death.
Rawlings also pointed to Murphy’s time on Chappelle’s Show as a turning point that allowed him to fully step into his own spotlight. “The thing I appreciate most about Chappelle’s Show for Charlie is that it gave him his identity,” Rawlings said.
