Eddie Murphy stands by the movie that won him multiple Golden Raspberry Awards, aka Razzies, and is speculated to have lost him his one and only Oscar nomination. Murphy is one of the most beloved comedic actors of all time, having made a name for himself as a performer on Saturday Night Live before later dominating the box office.

But since Murphy’s run of well-received 1980s films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, his projects haven’t always landed with ubiquitous praise. Films like The Nutty Professor, Dr. Doolittle, and I Spy certainly found their audiences, but received mixed reviews from critics. But it sounds like the comedian isn’t letting that get to him.

Eddie Murphy Stands By Norbit (2007), Doesn’t Think It Ruined His Oscar Chances

In an interview with Complex, Eddie Murphy got to talking about Norbit, his 2007 film that was a box office success, but a critical flop (it currently has a 9% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes). He defended the film and pushed back against speculation that it cost him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar win for Dreamgirls.

Murphy told Complex, “I love Norbit. Norbit came out right after I got that Oscar nomination. There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’ They’re two different movies.”

“I wrote Norbit with my brother, Charlie,” Murphy continued, “and we think Norbit is funny. Here’s the thing with Norbit – it came out and they gave me Razzie Awards for Worst Actress, Worst Actor, and Worst Actor of the Decade. And I was like, ‘Come on now, s**t ain’t that bad.’”

Without necessarily comparing it to his other movies, Murphy said “I like Norbit. To this day, I like Norbit. There’s stuff in Norbit that makes me laugh.”

What This Means For Eddie Murphy

Murphy’s comments about Norbit are a sign that the actor doesn’t necessarily judge his successes based on critical reception. In the interview with Complex, he did acknowledge the box office failures of films like The Adventures of Pluto Nash and Holy Man, but it sounds as though he resists letting critics spoil his enjoyment of his own work.

That’s refreshing, especially considering the fact that Norbit surged in popularity on streaming last year, proving its lasting appeal to audiences. In fact, many of Murphy’s critically divisive movies have found wide audiences; Dr. Doolittle was a box office hit despite negative reviews, and The Nutty Professor (Barely fresh at 64% on Rotten Tomatoes) a lasting piece of pop culture.

It’s also unlikely that Norbit fully cost Murphy an Academy Award. The actor was beat out by Alan Arkin for his role in Little Miss Sunshine which, unlike Dreamgirls, was nominated for Best Picture and won the Oscar for Writing (Original Screenplay). Even if Norbit dinged Murphy’s chances, Little Miss Sunshine clearly had plenty of awards buzz and momentum.