United Kingdom, Nov. 12 -- Eddie Murphy says Robin Williams tried to talk him out of his speech calling out the Oscars for overlooking Black stars.

The 64-year-old actor took the Academy to task at the 1988 ceremony, but his fellow Hollywood star was worried Eddie wasn't going to hit the right tone.

He told Entertainment Weekly: "I remember being with Robin Williams backstage. I was like, 'I'm gonna say this.'

"And he goes to me, like, 'But why go there?' I was like, 'Oh, you don't think it's funny?' It was more, 'Is it funny?' Rather than, 'It's controversial.'

"I was trying to be funny and say a little something, but be funny too. Have a little edge to what I said."

Robin - who died aged 63 in 2014 - was concerned the humour would ...