Eddie Murphy Reveals 1 Thing That Helped Him Dodge Drugs, Hollywood Pitfalls (Exclusive)

Eddie Murphy has seen some things in his nearly 50-year career. But, seeing doesn’t mean partaking.

The iconic comedian and actor opened up to PEOPLE in this week’s issue about his long career and how he’s survived in Hollywood.

“In a business where people come and go, most people don’t get 50 years,” says the star, who’s commemorating his legendary run with the new Netflix documentary Being Eddie.

He credits his residing self-love for helping to shield him from many a Hollywood pitfall, namely the deadly drug and alcohol addictions that claimed the lives of so many of his comedic heroes and peers.

“My most important blessing is that I love myself,” says Murphy when asked how he’s survived Hollywood. “I’ve always loved myself, always been my biggest fan. That’s at the core of all of the decisions that you make. Some people go through their whole lives and get to the end and say, ‘I finally love myself.’ I started out that way.”

Murphy reflects in the new documentary on the pain of losing friends like Rick James and Redd Foxx to drugs, and notes that his superstar peers like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson struggled with “self-destructive” tendencies.

He, on the other hand, says he never once dabbled in hard drugs and only tried marijuana for the first time when he turned 30.

Last year, the star revealed on The Interview podcast that he once declined an invitation to do cocaine with fellow comedians Robin Williams and John Belushi.

The trio were out at a bar, and Murphy was just 19 at the time. “It was me, [John] Belushi and Robin Williams,” he said on the podcast. “They start doing coke, and I was like, ‘No, I’m cool.’ ”

Remembering his thought process in that moment, Murphy, who also mentions the episode in Being Eddie, said, “I wasn’t taking some moral stance. I just wasn’t interested in it. To not have the desire or the curiosity, I’d say that’s providence.”

“God was looking over me in that moment,” he added.

The proud father of 10 tells PEOPLE that what makes him happiest now is “just being Eddie. I love having my family around, and I love that I’ve been in this amazing business for so long.”

Being Eddie is now streaming on Netflix.