WATCH: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross And Reginald Hudlin Discuss Holiday Film, ‘Candy Cane Lane’

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The Christmas-themed family comedy is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

Transcript

00:00 Christmas is love, right?

00:01 And love and family, and when those things come together,

00:05 you're really, really happy.

00:07 (dramatic music)

00:10 - I can explain.

00:14 - It's magic!

00:17 - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

00:20 - High stakes as neighbors compete

00:22 for best decorated house on the block.

00:24 - I think this is the house to be.

00:26 - It's magic!

00:28 - Wow.

00:29 - I'll see you on Christmas.

00:30 - Wish.

00:31 - I just wanna win this thing.

00:34 I'll take it.

00:38 - Hi, Ola, how are you?

00:40 - What's up?

00:41 - I'm good, how you guys doing today?

00:42 - Good.

00:43 - Good, man.

00:44 - It's a pleasure to be speaking with you today.

00:45 Eddie, so my first question's actually for you, my brother.

00:48 You've starred in several family-inspired films

00:51 throughout your career, the next, which is "Candy Cane Land."

00:53 Why do you feel as though you gravitated

00:55 to these family-friendly films,

00:57 and do you think fatherhood played a role

00:59 in those decisions?

01:00 - Well, I've always tried to do all different types

01:04 of movies, and I do think that being a dad pushed me

01:09 to wanna do different types, wanna make movies

01:13 that everybody could wanna go see,

01:15 'cause that's when I, around the time I started doing it.

01:18 But I've done it for years and years.

01:20 This was something that I was like,

01:21 yeah, I could bring my whole family to see.

01:23 And I hadn't done any, had never done a Christmas movie,

01:25 even though I've done family movies,

01:27 I'd never done a Christmas one.

01:28 - Well, we're definitely looking forward to it, man.

01:30 Reginald, so you and Eddie, y'all came together

01:34 over 30 years ago on "Boomerang."

01:35 Can you speak to me about your excitement

01:37 and being able to work with him again?

01:39 Why has it been so long since y'all got together?

01:41 - The gap in the years has been an ongoing crime.

01:44 I'm glad that that's over.

01:46 (Eddie laughs)

01:47 We had a great time doing "Boomerang" together,

01:50 and it's just like everything's gotta fall apart,

01:52 where, oh, here's the right script,

01:54 oh, we both like it, okay.

01:56 Everything's, all the pieces have to come together.

01:58 And it was weird 'cause, I mean, we would talk,

02:01 and Eddie would have ideas.

02:02 I'm like, that's fantastic.

02:04 And things would or wouldn't happen.

02:06 And this one, everything happened so fast and so easy.

02:11 It was like, well, clearly this is meant to be.

02:14 Mainly because I was dying to make a Christmas movie,

02:16 he wanted to make a Christmas movie.

02:18 We had the right script, and it was a go.

02:23 And it's odd 'cause when we did "Boomerang,"

02:25 they were like, okay, you have to make this movie.

02:28 Here's the release date.

02:30 You have to make this release date.

02:31 - Oh, interesting.

02:32 - So we had the same situation again,

02:34 where it's like, we wanna make this movie.

02:37 You have to make this release date.

02:39 Move fast.

02:40 I'm like, great, I can do that.

02:43 - So Tracy, for several seasons,

02:45 you were amazing on "Black-ish,"

02:47 and now you have the role of Carolyn in "Candy Cane Lane."

02:50 - Yep.

02:51 - How important has it been to reinforce

02:53 these positive reflections of black motherhood

02:55 and black families in your roles in our film and television?

02:58 - I just think it's important to reflect humanity

03:01 and what I see in the world that I live in,

03:04 the kinds of women that I see.

03:07 It's so funny, I remember,

03:08 this is not a flex, it's for a point,

03:10 but when I was nominated for the Emmy for the first time,

03:13 they said it had been 30 some odd years

03:15 since a black woman was nominated

03:16 as a lead actor in a comedy,

03:18 which is a failure on the industry's part

03:20 because as I look around, I see black women

03:23 that are the leads in their lives everywhere.

03:26 And so the roles that I choose,

03:30 whether they are on the page or not,

03:32 that's what I bring to it because it's who I am.

03:34 But I love, you know, someone asked me last night,

03:36 they're like, how can you be a mother of another family?

03:38 I was like, I'm an actor.

03:41 I can be a mother of many families, many children.

03:44 I have none in real life and I just harbor them on screen.

03:48 So this was a treat and a joy, and I really,

03:53 I enjoyed leaning in and then getting to work

03:55 with such a gift that is Eddie Murphy.

03:57 I mean, you guys know him the way I knew him

04:00 as this wonderful talent, and then you get to work with him

04:03 and what he is is a generous actor

04:05 who really is wonderful to work with.

04:07 And then, you know, joining a duo

04:10 that has made such brilliance as "Boomerang"

04:13 and then to come and sort of be a part of that was a joy.

04:16 I think we just have to continue sharing our humanity.

04:19 I know it's a shock to everyone.

04:22 For some reason, but this is who we are,

04:24 just wonderful people.

04:26 - And you know what's a shock?

04:27 Is when you play somebody's parent

04:30 and then you see them years later.

04:31 - Oh no, it's insane.

04:32 - And they're a grownup and it makes you feel really old.

04:34 - But it's happening right now.

04:35 I mean, I just finished "Black-ish" two years ago

04:37 and I ran into Marseille and I was just like,

04:40 what's happening?

04:41 Like, what is, like, when does this occur?

04:44 - And Yara, I played Yara's dad.

04:46 - Yes, you did. - She was just a little baby

04:47 and now she's a grown woman.

04:49 - Very strange.

04:50 - That was weird 'cause I did the pilot

04:51 for "Everybody Hates Chris"

04:53 and then I was producing this little indie movie

04:55 and the daughter is this, playing a kid in college.

04:58 I'm like, no, you can't watch.

05:01 - But it's really strange because when you're a kid,

05:04 10 years is the longest time.

05:05 So like, you know, we're adults or you're 20

05:07 and you're looking at a kid.

05:09 As you get older, 10 years is not a long time.

05:11 Like Eddie, you keep saying that you're a little older

05:14 than me, but we're in the same age range.

05:15 You know what I mean?

05:16 - But I've been doing this long enough

05:17 that I've had people with gray hair come up to me and say,

05:20 "Hey, you was my dad in that thing."

05:22 (laughing)

05:24 - I was your dad in what?

05:26 - Shut up!

05:27 (laughing)

05:28 Don't tell anybody.

05:29 - But that's a reoccurring thing,

05:31 the fact that like you've got a Dorian Gray thing happening.

05:34 Somewhere there is a portrait of you that is aging

05:37 because you do not age.

05:39 - Oh yeah, I do.

05:40 (laughing)

05:42 - But here's the thing, but again,

05:44 but I look at some of the earlier films

05:46 and there's no way to get away of saying this.

05:48 You look better now.

05:49 You're aging extraordinarily well.

05:52 - I think you just got used to me.

05:55 (laughing)

05:57 - I'm sorry, did you have another question?

06:00 - I wanna go back to you, Eddie.

06:02 You have a big family, 10 children, I believe.

06:06 - 10.

06:07 - Yes.

06:07 So what's your process like when you shop for Christmas?

06:10 (laughing)

06:12 So what's your process like when you're shopping

06:18 for Christmas gifts for your family and your children?

06:21 Like are you more hands-on?

06:22 Do you have a point person?

06:24 Like what's that process?

06:25 - Do you have a point person?

06:26 - We have a point person that does most of the shopping

06:28 and stuff and she gets all the,

06:31 Sharice does all the shopping.

06:33 - Okay.

06:33 - And she gets everybody's requests.

06:36 - They write their notes to Santa.

06:38 And then they say Santa.

06:40 - And I just pay for everything.

06:42 (laughing)

06:44 - And then on the inverse,

06:47 do you think you're easy or difficult to shop for?

06:50 - Oh, I'm for sure hard to shop for.

06:53 But I don't need gifts.

06:56 I'm such a specific person.

06:58 - See, I would get you like some type of olive treat

07:02 or something salty.

07:04 - That, you see, that'd be good.

07:06 Eddie listens.

07:07 The truth is I'm not a material person.

07:09 I get really charmed by the smallest little thing.

07:15 You could give me a rock and tell me, you know,

07:17 you found this rock and it reminded you of that time.

07:22 - So if somebody gave you an olive treat and they said,

07:26 and you know how--

07:26 (laughing)

07:28 - You know this is going wrong.

07:29 - You know I grew these olives.

07:31 (laughing)

07:32 That would really touch you.

07:33 - I would be so touched.

07:35 If you do that, I will not be touched.

07:38 (laughing)

07:39 Sharice.

07:40 (laughing)

07:42 I'm gonna put in a request.

07:44 It's not gonna be for an olive treat, okay?

07:46 (laughing)

07:48 - Reggie.

07:49 - Yes, sir.

07:50 - I know a question is asked for you.

07:51 Being at the helm of this soon to be classic film,

07:55 can you tell me what does the holiday season mean to you

07:58 and why is it so special?

07:59 - Now my daughter is in college.

08:02 She's a freshman.

08:03 Well, the house is one third, one quarter quieter now

08:06 and it's really disturbing.

08:07 You know, my wife openly mourns her loss,

08:10 which means I can't express any feelings.

08:12 - You guys can't both express feelings?

08:14 - No, no, no.

08:14 - That's not the way that works?

08:15 - No, 'cause then there's just a meltdown.

08:18 It doubles her feeling, right?

08:21 - Note to self for when I'm in marriage, please go.

08:23 - Right, so she was home for a week for Thanksgiving.

08:26 We were just so happy.

08:28 I was like, can I talk to her today?

08:31 How's it going?

08:32 (laughing)

08:33 And then she left, but now she's gonna be back

08:35 for like a month for Christmas.

08:37 And we're just so excited.

08:40 I remember you were talking about, you know,

08:42 your daughter coming back and how excited you were.

08:46 - Yeah, my 21 year old moved back in the house.

08:49 I've been, I was, so I've been happy all year.

08:52 - Right, and that's the thing.

08:54 Christmas is love, right?

08:56 And love and family.

08:57 And when those things come together,

08:59 you're really, really happy.

09:01 We love decorations.

09:03 I love Christmas music.

09:04 I have a nine hour Christmas playlist, all that stuff.

09:07 But it's family and love that really like,

09:10 yeah, this is Christmas.

09:12 - Slam dunk.

09:13 - Well, Tracy, Eddie, Reginald, thank you so much.

09:16 I really appreciate you.

09:18 I look forward to the family.

09:19 Thank you for your time.

09:20 - Thank you so much.

09:21 Happy holidays.

09:22 (upbeat music)

09:24 (upbeat music)

09:27 (upbeat music)

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