Eddie Murphy and Tracy Morgan text each other Planet of the Apes quotes all the time

Last Updated on December 15, 2023

Every now and then a clip pops up on the internet involving a celebrity that makes you go, Yeah, that’s me! That’s the case with an interview with Eddie Murphy from just earlier this year, in which he revealed that he and Tracy Morgan constantly text each other lines from the original Planet of the Apes.

In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Eddie Murphy was asked about his texting habits with pal Tracy Morgan, with the late night talk show host asking the comedian to give him some examples of their exchanges. Murphy first came up with – while mimicking Dr. Zaius (as played by Maurice Evans) and mock-texting – “Where is your nest at?” (the full line actually finishes with, “Where are your women?”) to which Morgan will text back, “Thank God for calling me Taylor”, as spoken by Charlon Heston’s George Taylor. (This line is actually, “Thank you for calling me Taylor” but never mind that – we all flub movie quotes!) Murphy also remembered watching Planet of the Apes repeatedly, even owning the action figures – well, convincing a younger sibling to get them since he was too old. You can see the full clip below:

Knowing that celebs like Murphy and Morgan have a go-to movie in Planet of the Apes that they quote as an in-joke between themselves is actually pretty awesome and makes them seem more grounded. Don’t most of us have that? Aren’t there some of us who will randomly throw The Big Lebowski or Office Space quotes into conversations? An even cooler aspect is that they haven’t made a comedy the focal point of their texts but rather deeper cuts from a 55-year-old sci-fi flick. The most famous quote – “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape.” – was named by the American Film Institute as the 66th greatest ever.

Tracy Morgan had the honor of presenting Eddie Murphy with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year’s Golden Globe ceremony. Murphy even got Morgan – who has cited the star as one of his comedy idols – cast in Coming 2 America.

What is your go-to movie to quote with your best friend? Give us your favorite line of dialogue to quote in the comments section below!