Eddie Murphy Returns to SNL For the 40th Anniversary Special

The comedian, 53, was given a heartfelt introduction by Chris Rock, who credited Murphy as his comedy inspiration. "I wanted to be Eddie Murphy," Rock said.

He also said that Murphy helped save SNL, which was in a ratings slump when he joined in 1981 at the age of 19, making him the second-youngest cast member in the show's long history. (The youngest cast member ever would be Anthony Michael Hall, who joined the show when he was 17 back in 1985.)

When Murphy came out onto the stage, he was greeted with a standing ovation. However, he didn't really show off his comedic side, instead saying a few words about how much the show meant to him.

"I love this show," the comedian said.

Murphy shot to stardom on the show, where he memorably played Buckwheat from the Little Rascals, Gumby, and a spoof on Mr. Rodgers called Mr. Robinson. In 1982, when his 48 Hours costar Nick Nolte had to drop out of hosting duties for the show, Murphy stepped in to fill his place, making him the only cast member to host while still a full-time regular.

As his star began to rise, Murphy began to focus his attention on his movie career, and he left the show in April 1984 during the show's ninth season. He later returned to the show on Dec. 15, 1984, to host, but never graced Studio 8H after that appearance. That is, until his guest appearance on Sunday night.

Murphy isn't the only A-list start to help celebrate the SNL's 40th anniversary – Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake, Alec Baldwin, and Jim Carrey are just a few of the big names who stopped by the show.