Eddie Murphy interview: "The comic used to be [...] the opening act, and I changed it to where the comic can be the main attraction."
David Marchese interviews Eddie Murphy in The New York Times, June 29, 2024. From the end:
I heard Kevin Hart tell a story on Howard Stern’s show. He talked about a dinner that, I think, Dave Chappelle organized. It was Kevin Hart, you, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Chappelle. And in Hart’s recollection, it’s this lovely moment where you’re all sharing stories, but really it was kind of about showing respect for you. Do you remember that? Yeah, but I don’t remember being the focal point.
But he really put it in terms of, you laid down the path ...