Eddie Murphy is used to playing men and women of all shapes and sizes - often in the same movie.

In his latest offering Meet Dave he has taken on the role of a giant alien mothership that lands in New York.

Luckily for the actor, the spacecraft is cunningly disguised as an ordinary humanoid, so there's no need for him to don his trademark fat suit or spend three hours in make-up.

Fans of Murphy's movies should make sure they catch the movie as the comic has hinted he may take a break from the screen to return to stand-up.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.