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But after more than 25 years as a performer, often in iconic comedic roles -- "Trading Places," "Beverly Hills Cop," "48 HRS.," "Bowfinger" -- he had yet to tackle a full-on dramatic role, much less one that required him to recalibrate his oversized persona.

And Murphy, for all his box office draw, has never been Oscar nominated. "Dreamgirls" may very well change that.

From his first exploratory lunch with "Dreamgirls" writer-director Bill Condon, however, Murphy made it clear that he was ready for the challenge, and James "Thunder" Early -- a fiercely talented but self-destructive traveling R&B singer who gains a fair amount of celebrity -- was the role.

"Jimmy is perpetually on the edge of getting some national exposure, playing the cities," says Murphy. "Everyone loves him because he's really one of a kind. He just can't seem to break through, but he is an R&B originator, bringing the sound that white kids could dance to -- like James Brown, Chuck Berry, Little Richard.

"While the country was still segregated, they were bridging the world of music, bringing 'black' sound to 'white' America. It wasn't until later that these performers realized just how much they accomplished."

According to Condon, Murphy told him he "didn't want people to be watching Eddie. He wanted to disappear into someone completely different from any character he'd ever done before."

Condon clarified to Murphy that in so doing, Murphy also had to be prepared to go to "the dark side." His character, particularly in the second half of the film, experiences a steep, harrowing decline, which required Murphy to let go of every scintilla of his bred-in-the-bone optimistic personality.

Despair just doesn't seem to be in Murphy's vocabulary, but when it came time to go there, "He was riveting," Condon says.

"There is a scene that contains perhaps my favorite moment in the movie, when one of the characters begs Early not to fall back into drugs. Eddie doesn't say anything. He just gives him this look that says so much more than I could ever have put into words. There's nothing cute or lovable about that moment. He just went for it."

The role is not all heavy drama. Early is as charismatic a stage performer as the actor who portrays him. Murphy had seen "Dreamgirls" onstage several times and knew all the music.

"He said he knew he could sing it, and I took it on trust that he could," says Condon, "but I can't tell you how exciting it was the first time he came into the recording studio and did it. More than anything else in the film, the joy of musical performance lit something up in him. It was like Eddie was falling in love with performing all over again."

Next project: DreamWorks comedy "Norbit," from director Brian Robbins, and tentpole sequel "Shrek the Third," due in May. Also on Murphy's docket is "Starship Dave," directed by Robbins.