TV Article Eddie Murphy to return to 'SNL' for first time in 30 years By Jennifer Maas Updated on August 4, 2017 02:09PM EDT Photo: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic Eddie Murphy will be returning to Saturday Night Live for the first time in 30 years, as part of the show’s 40th anniversary. Murphy announced his plan to return to SNL during to the host of TV One’s News One Now, Roland S. Martin, on Thursday. When Martin was questioning Murphy about why he has never hosted the NBC sketch comedy, Murphy told him, “It’s just timing. It never worked out where the timing was right for me to do it…actually, they are having a 40th anniversary, I think, in two weeks. I’m going to that. That will be the first time I have been back since I left.” The iconic comedian was a regular cast member on the show from 1980-1984. He was most famous for his recurring characters, Buckwheat, Mr. Robinson, and Gumby. Your browser does not support iframes.