Charlie Quinton Murphy may be Eddie Murphy’s older brother by nearly two years, but the 48-year-old sitting across from me looks years younger than that household name movie star brother of his.

An actor in his own right, after serving in the Navy for six years, Charlie followed in his brother’s acting footsteps, performing and writing comedy. Charlie got his first break with his brother’s film, Harlem Nights, and since then has accumulated nearly three dozen film and television acting credits. While his work is recognizable in such films as Spike Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues and Jungle Fever, as well as Roll Bounce, Night at the Museum and Eddie’s Norbit, Charlie is known to most people for his various characters on Chapelle’s Show and Ed Wuncler II on The Boondocks.

In his latest role to come to theaters Charlie plays J-Jizzy, a music mogul more concerned with his career than his kids in The Perfect Holiday. Easily the most entertaining thing about this Christmas movie the egomaniacal, flamboyant and ethically challenged J-Jizzy has recently divorced Nancy (Gabrielle Union) and left her to raise their three children. He provides the kids with the dough but he is a constant no show in their lives unless he needs to parade them out in front of the cameras.

In this exclusive interview, Tolosa Press spoke to Charlie about the film, family and vacation.

Los Angeles Journal: Why did you want to be involved in this film?

Charlie Murphy: The character I got to play was a golden opportunity.

LAJ: What do you think you have in common with J-Jizzy?

CM: A taste for gaudiness [Laughs]. My wife and I are not separated but, because of my job, I don’t get to see my kids every day like a regular dude.

LAJ: Yes, it what ways do you sympathise with the ways he has to negotiate his career and fatherhood?

CM: I sympathise with him the same way I sympathise with the US servicemen deployed over in Iraq for 24 months. They have children and they’re not going to get to go home. When they go to work, there’s a high probability they’re not going to come back. These guys are making much more of a sacrifice than I am. As a man’s role in a family, the father isn’t supposed to be home all the time [Laughs}, especially if the mother doesn’t work.

LAJ: Your character uses his family as a marketing ploy. Do you see that often in show business?

CM: Oh yeah. Come on, with all these reality shows. What are they doing? Everybody’s doing it. A celebrity showing you his family; that’s the same thing J-Jizzy’s doing.

LAJ: As viewers how can we tell the real family persons from the fake?

CM: Their family will be with them when the cameras are off. I had an offer to do a reality show but, to me, my family is not in show business. I don’t want to exploit my family. After that what else do you have to go with? A career in show business? No. You allow cameras to come into your house and exploit you and show the world your business, when they’re finish with you that’s the end of the show.

LAJ: Conversely, what role do the media play when it takes photos of celebrities and their families?

CM: That’s part of the American value. The whole family structure. Have the family with the picket fence and the dog. That’s the image of choice but it’s not always the image of reality. You know what I’m saying? My family is real. It’s not an image. Family is part of the human animal. There’s more to you than I can see right here. If I let a camera come around you and we start shooting all of your little shortcomings for the purpose of my entertainment; where does that leave you once I get finished with you?

LAJ: Of course the presence of a camera would change your behavior.

CM: Right, but they capture some real stuff [Laughs]. I’ve seen stuff on reality TV where I go, “You let your mama come on TV and say that?”

LAJ: The film’s driving theme is that family is the most important thing in peoples’ lives. What is the most important thing to you/

CM: My family: my wife and children’s being, welfare and destiny. At the end of the day, what is there? You got to be connected to something.

LAJ: It is quite amazing how we value family yet we do not even pick ours out.  Well, you can pick out your spouse, but not much else.  Why would something given to us be so important?

CM: I really don’t have an answer for that. The human animal. It’s about the relationships. We all have different needs for the choices we make. You see a good kid in the streets with a bad kid. You don’t understand why that good kid is hanging out with Billy Badass. Well, there’s more to your good kid than you know. Maybe your good kid has some really nasty ways when you’re not around and Billy Badass can identify. We’re all like that.

LAJ: Like many people in show business, J-Jizzy is very extravagant. You just mentioned the sacrifices servicemen and women are making in Iraq. Given that we are engaged in war, is it appropriate to be indulgent extravagant when others are sacrificing?

CM: Yes, you know why it’s appropriate? There are two things. You got the people who are just interested in being successful. Their agenda is to move their family forward. Then you got grassroots, patriotic type people who support this war. It’s good to have people patriots. I’m a patriot, but I’m not going there. I was already in the military. I’m not going anywhere. I did six years. You know what I’m saying? I don’t agree with the war. That’s my personal opinion. They shouldn’t be over there. I’m behind them. They didn’t send themselves over there. Policy sent them over there. That’s’ who I have a disagreement with, not the military. In fact over the years when the generals come on television and say, “This war is not doing right.” It’s not them. It’s the guys in suits. You have people that follow that regime and then you have others who look at that regime and say, “Yo, Man. That’s bullshit. I’m not buying into that. As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying my life. That flag you’re waving is taking advantage of people.”

LAJ: Yes, but is this a time to be extravagant and self-indulgent?

CM: Yes. You know why it’s time to be extravagant? What’s guaranteeing tomorrow is going to be the same? Let’s not forget, Russia was gone overnight. There was no war. You woke up one morning and they said, “The Soviet Republic no longer exists.” The same thing could happen here. It’s a shame people spend time bickering and fighting because your duty in life is to enjoy it. As long as you’re not tying to impose on anybody’s life, standing one someone else’s shoulder. You enjoy your life and let them enjoy theirs. That’s what I live by. I don’t have any enemies. I don’t care what you look like, what you think. You’re not my enemy as long as you don’t give me a problem directly. Who really has an affect on your life on a day-to-day basis? Those are the people I deal with. Can those big guys affect my life? Yeah, they can. But if they do it won’t be anything positive [Laughs].

LAJ: Beyond your career and family, what do you enjoy?

CM: Travel. When I was in the Navy I went all over the world. But when it was time to get off the boat it was like, “You’re now in Bolivia. You got one hour [Laughs] to get off the boat and see Bolivia. You better be back or you’re going to jail.” I went to all these beautiful places, Man, yet it was always under the gun. You can’t spend the night. You got two-three hours max. So that causes you to get off the boat, go find the nearest bar and go get drunk. There’s nothing else to do in three hours, unless you’re one of those guys that likes to walk around with a camera and takes pictures of mountains and houses. I’m not that kind of dude [Laughs]. I always said I want to be able to come back on my own and really enjoy these places and I’ve been able to do that.

LAJ: Lastly, what do you think about these interviews where you discuss yourself and your work? Do they serve the work? Should the work speak for itself?

CM: It’s all part of the work. You have to do interviews. There’s never too much exposure if you’re in show business. My performance in this movie is what it is. Reading this article may inspire people to go and see this movie. They may have not thought Charlie Murphy really mattered in the movie. They may see something from the real Charlie Murphy and say, “Hey, I like this guy.” However you look at it, I’m not a phony. That’s the bottom line.