‘Who’s Ready for This?’: Beverly Hills Cop’s Bronson Pinchot Is Baffled by Overnight Fame and Death Threats

Bronson Pinchot doesn’t like to be the center of attention!

The actor rose to fame overnight after the success of the thrilling and heartbreaking 1984 action comedy Beverly Hills Cop. Pinchot has revealed that he never enjoyed the “spectacle” of show business and that it took him a long time to find peace. He is also known for playing the lead role in the hit 1986 sitcom Perfect Strangers.

Bronson Pinchot Claims Beverly Hills Cop Brought Him Fame, Death Threats

Although the actor had a small role in Eddie Murphy’s action comedy, his portrayal of Serge, a gallery employee with a strong accent, left a lasting impression on the audience. Pinchot went from being an unknown 25-year-old struggling actor to starring in one of the biggest blockbusters of all time.

In an interview with People, the actor spoke about his overnight fame. “Five seconds after the movie came out, I met Carrie Fisher and she took me to a party at Rod Stewart’s house. I was talking to Elton John and I was like, ‘What’s going on?'” he recalled.

That was just the beginning of Pinchot’s fame! He went on to star as the Emmy-nominated Balki in the sitcom Perfect Strangers. Everyone fell in love with his character, an immigrant from the fictional island of Mypos who lives with his cousin Larry.

But Pinchot grew irritable with all the attention, a man who doesn’t enjoy fame. “My reaction was, ‘Really? Can’t you just be cool?’ I was all irritable,” he said. “Everybody’s staring at you. And sometimes people even threaten to kill you.”

He remembers people asking him to “do” his character when he just wanted to eat his salad in peace. But if he didn’t, they were quick to threaten him. “I mean, it’s a real thing,” he added.

Pinchot in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

In a 1985 interview with People, Pinchot said he would never reprise his Beverly Hills Cop character because he didn’t want it to fit his image. However, he was happy to reprise his role in the upcoming sequel. “I don’t even know who that guy really was,” he said in response to her comment.

He will play the heavily accented character that has become iconic to the Eddie Murphy franchise. “It was a decent stomach workout considering how much I laughed,” said his co-star Nasim Pedrad.

The Risky Business actor revealed he was reluctant to attend the film’s Los Angeles premiere on June 20. “I got secret threatening emails and texts from my manager saying, ‘You’re going to be on the red carpet,'” he joked to People.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F will be available on Netflix from July 3