Steve Carr: “Eddie Murphy Said, ‘I Would Never Do That.’” Directing Hollywood’s Biggest Comedies

Steve Carr has directed some of the most recognisable comedies of the last 25 years — working with Eddie Murphy, Ice Cube, Kevin James and some of the biggest names in entertainment. But his route into Hollywood was anything but conventional. In this episode of Strip The Script, Steve sits down with Jazz Lintott to unpack how he went from designing album artwork and directing music videos to being handed Next Friday — despite never having seen Friday. Steve tells the story of stepping onto an $80 million movie with Eddie Murphy and immediately having his directing instincts challenged, what Ice Cube taught him about comedy, and why filmmaking leaves very little time for self-doubt. They also discuss the Public Enemy artwork that began on a diner napkin, what Steve looks for when auditioning actors, why one performer can stand out among a thousand, and the mentality behind a career spanning music, film and television. In this episode: • Breaking into filmmaking without waiting for permission • Directing Next Friday without seeing Friday • Working with Ice Cube • Being challenged by Eddie Murphy on Daddy Day Care • What directors actually look for in auditions • Why “you have to make your day” • Public Enemy and Steve's beginnings in music and design • Learning by doing rather than waiting until you feel ready Strip The Script is a series of unfiltered conversations with actors, filmmakers and creators about the craft, psychology and reality behind creative careers. Hosted by Jazz Lintott. Presented by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at BetterHelp dot com slash actorflow10. Subscribe to Strip The Script for new conversations every week. 00:00 Introduction: No Time to Doubt Yourself 01:48 From Def Jam to Hollywood: Was It Intentional? 05:03 The Art Students League and Early Beginnings 05:49 Free Lunch at Def Jam: Starting The Drawing Board 09:12 Bringing Authenticity to Hip-Hop Album Design 11:56 Managing DMX and Learning to Deal with Talent 13:38 Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet, and Six-Hour Waits 16:34 The Slick Rick Opportunity: First Music Video 17:33 Yelling Action and Cut Indiscriminately 21:19 Music Videos: Telling Stories, Not Just Performance 22:26 Moving to LA and Joining Propaganda 24:20 Brett Ratner and the Next Friday Opportunity 25:04 Pitching Ice Cube While Burping Diet Coke 26:01 Now What Do I Do? Landing Your First Film 30:10 Making Your Day: No Time for Doubt on Set 37:43 Eddie Murphy Said 'I Would Never Do That' 39:42 Russell Simmons: Put Your Dick on the Table 42:55 From Culture to Commerce: The Studio System 50:28 Learning Leadership from Ice Cube 54:33 The Rocket Ship Scene and Standing Your Ground 57:35 Casting: What Directors Really Look For 58:32 Self-Tapes vs. The Room: A Director's Perspective 1:01:09 Jacob Vargas: The Only One Who Got the Comedy 1:03:42 What's Next: The Naughty Listers and Breaking Up Mom and Dad 1:05:03 Advice for Filmmakers: Just Do It 1:07:05 Write to the Scale You Can Produce