---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every bad decision I've made has been…"
description: "\"Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down money there. You take it, because you never kno..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg"
---

#  Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I…

![“Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down money there. You take it, because you never know when it's all going to end. I made Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert's thumb up my ass.” quote by Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg)

> “Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down money there. You take it, because you never know when it's all going to end. I made Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert's thumb up my ass.”

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He admits money drives his decisions, citing a lucrative film role and the influence of critical approval.

**In simple terms:** Money and validation often dictate choices in tough environments.

Key Takeaway

Money and approval influence decisions.

Themes

greed survival validation

Mood

candid reflective

Type

personal philosophical

When to use this quote

- acting
- financial planning
- personal ethics

Key Concepts

economic pressure career choices

Questions to Reflect On

- How does money shape your values?
- What compromises are you willing to make?

A Different Perspective

May overlook artistic integrity for profit.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-decision/) [Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

## Related quotes

> [Every bad decision I've made has been based on money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-based-on-money/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [What's happening to movie critics is no different from what has been meted out to book, dance, theater, and fine-arts reviewers and reporters in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/what-s-happening-to-movie-critics-is-no-different-from-what-has-been/)

[James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/)

> [I am deeply honored to be making 'Life Itself,' a documentary on the life of Roger Ebert, and to have had the full cooperation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-james/i-am-deeply-honored-to-be-making-life-itself-a-documentary-on-the/)

[Steve James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-james/)

> [Roger Ebert was the last mammoth alive who was holding the flag for real movies and moviemakers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/roger-ebert-was-the-last-mammoth-alive-who-was-holding-the-flag-for/)

[Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/)

> [Roger Ebert was a very valiant soldier of cinema who passed away, and we miss him. It's over with serious discourse about cinema in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/roger-ebert-was-a-very-valiant-soldier-of-cinema-who-passed-away-and/)

[Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/)

> [I never apologized for anything in my life. The only thing I'm sorry about is putting a curse on Roger Ebert's colon. If a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-gallo/i-never-apologized-for-anything-in-my-life-the-only-thing-i-m-sorry/)

[Vincent Gallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-gallo/)

> [I don't think Roger Ebert has ever mentioned a screenplay. He assigns every auctorial move to the director, which makes some sense since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-don-t-think-roger-ebert-has-ever-mentioned-a-screenplay-he-assigns/)

[William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/)

> [For millions, Roger Ebert will be remembered as a writer and television personality who brought a sense of passion and excellence to his craft.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/for-millions-roger-ebert-will-be-remembered-as-a-writer-and/)

[Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/)

> [Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel first championed my film, 'Hoop Dreams,' which was essential to its success. Roger remained a great supporter of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-james/roger-ebert-and-gene-siskel-first-championed-my-film-hoop-dreams/)

[Steve James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-james/)

> [We know Roger Ebert loved the 'Sun-Times' and his career as a newspaper columnist. But ironically, it was his illness and losing his voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kurtis/we-know-roger-ebert-loved-the-sun-times-and-his-career-as-a-newspaper/)

[Bill Kurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kurtis/)

> [Roger Ebert was such a champion of underrepresented filmmakers. He was a very big deal to me. It shows the power of critics. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/roger-ebert-was-such-a-champion-of-underrepresented-filmmakers-he-was/)

[Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/)

> [The National Association of Theater Concessionaires reported that in 1986, 60% of all candy sold in movie theaters was sold to Roger Ebert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/the-national-association-of-theater-concessionaires-reported-that-in/)

[David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/)

> [I think reviewers have become particularly venomous because, in a way, the power has been sucked from them. A 15-year-old can write a review…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/i-think-reviewers-have-become-particularly-venomous-because-in-a-way/)

[Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/)

> [But I still have him in the form of the finest and highest standard of what it means to be a journalist and critic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-ihnatko/but-i-still-have-him-in-the-form-of-the-finest-and-highest-standard/)

[Andy Ihnatko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-ihnatko/)

> [I met Roger Ebert at an independent-film awards or something. And he said, 'When I saw you just now, I wanted to punch you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-fitzpatrick/i-met-roger-ebert-at-an-independent-film-awards-or-something-and-he/)

[Leo Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-fitzpatrick/)

## More by Eddie Murphy

> [Over the past 50 years Bob Hope employed 88 joke writers who supplied him with more than one million gags, and he still couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/over-the-past-50-years-bob-hope-employed-88-joke-writers-who-supplied/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [My wife ain't gonna make love to me if I got no money!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/my-wife-ain-t-gonna-make-love-to-me-if-i-got-no-money/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [In a movie like this, the relationship between the two guys is crucial. It sinks or swims on how these two guys are together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/in-a-movie-like-this-the-relationship-between-the-two-guys-is-crucial/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [I want a woman who can arouse my intellect as well as my loins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-want-a-woman-who-can-arouse-my-intellect-as-well-as-my-loins/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [Whenever I am on camera or doing anything on mic, I don't have any process at all. I just do it and, when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/whenever-i-am-on-camera-or-doing-anything-on-mic-i-don-t-have-any/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [The best way you hurt rich people is by turning them into poor people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/the-best-way-you-hurt-rich-people-is-by-turning-them-into-poor-people/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [White boys always get the Oscar. It's a known fact. Did I ever get a nomination? No! You know why? Cause I hadn't played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/white-boys-always-get-the-oscar-it-s-a-known-fact-did-i-ever-get-a/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [You know, making a movie is a collaborative effort and sometimes all the ingredients don't work out. I know that every now and again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/you-know-making-a-movie-is-a-collaborative-effort-and-sometimes-all/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [I ain't never been in no cell that had a phone in it. Can I stay for a while? I ordered some pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-ain-t-never-been-in-no-cell-that-had-a-phone-in-it-can-i-stay-for-a/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [Mick Jagger's lips' so big, black people be going, "You got some big-ass lips!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/mick-jagger-s-lips-so-big-black-people-be-going-you-got-some-big-ass/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [If you're involved in with something that's original, you know, you'll always go back and try to rehash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/if-you-re-involved-in-with-something-that-s-original-you-know-you-ll/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [Are you driving with your eyes open? Or are you, like, using "the force"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/are-you-driving-with-your-eyes-open-or-are-you-like-using-the-force/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [I been seeing newspapers every Sunday morning, white dudes be in there in their drawers, never having no bulge in they drawers. Smiling at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-been-seeing-newspapers-every-sunday-morning-white-dudes-be-in-there/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [This is how you answer a door in my neighborhood. WHO IS IT?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/this-is-how-you-answer-a-door-in-my-neighborhood-who-is-it/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

> [The white man gets all the best catchphrases!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/the-white-man-gets-all-the-best-catchphrases/)

[Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

[Explore all 90 Eddie Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/)

## More Ass quotes

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/)

[Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/)

> [I named my son Noah for the same reason Chris Martin named his apple: we're asses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-named-my-son-noah-for-the-same-reason-chris-martin-named-his-apple/)

[Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/)

> [Apuleius married a rich widow, then wrote \_The Golden Ass\_.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/apuleius-married-a-rich-widow-then-wrote-the-golden-ass/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [What is this world?--A term which men have got, To signify not one in ten knows what; A term, which with no more precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/what-is-this-world-a-term-which-men-have-got-to-signify-not-one-in/)

[Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/)

> [I can tell you this. It is not going to be evenly constituted and when she was Speaker Pelosi, she certainly showed no interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/i-can-tell-you-this-it-is-not-going-to-be-evenly-constituted-and-when/)

[Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/)

> [Whoa. He had ghouls on speed dial. My lawyer kicks so much ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/whoa-he-had-ghouls-on-speed-dial-my-lawyer-kicks-so-much-ass/)

[Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/)

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [“Employment is an employee’s kissing of an employer’s ass. A salary is the employer’s pretense to be cleaning his ass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/employment-is-an-employee-s-kissing-of-an-employer-s-ass-a-salary-is/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [I just had a pedicure. My feet are soft like a baby's behind. If his ass was covered in calluses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-saget/i-just-had-a-pedicure-my-feet-are-soft-like-a-baby-s-behind-if-his/)

[Bob Saget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-saget/)

> [Now people are really inspired to do a lot, and the fire got lit under our asses to be more politically aware and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasheer-zamata/now-people-are-really-inspired-to-do-a-lot-and-the-fire-got-lit-under/)

[Sasheer Zamata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasheer-zamata/)

> [Friends, haters, it's Twitter poll time. What do you think most holds back justice and equality for women? All thoughts welcome!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/friends-haters-it-s-twitter-poll-time-what-do-you-think-most-holds/)

[Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/)

> [Held in the palms of thousands of disgruntled people over the centuries have been ideas worth millions - if they only had taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hayes/held-in-the-palms-of-thousands-of-disgruntled-people-over-the/)

Robert M. Hayes

Browse all 1,551 Ass quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down money there. You take it, because you never know when it's all going to end. I made Cop III because they offered me $15 million. That $15 million was worth having Roger Ebert's thumb up my ass.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Eddie Murphy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-based-on-money-i-grew-up-in-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ass"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-based-on-money-i-grew-up-in-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbe/eddie-murphy-7566_ass_every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-ba_704057.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Every bad decision I've made has been based on money. I grew up in the projects and you don't turn down…” — Eddie Murphy",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Eddie Murphy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Every bad decision I've made has...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-based-on-money-i-grew-up-in-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/every-bad-decision-i-ve-made-has-been-based-on-money-i-grew-up-in-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
