Kevin Bacon Says Working with Eddie Murphy Was a 'Bucket List Thing': 'One of Our Greatest Movie Stars' (Exclusive)

Kevin Bacon stars opposite Eddie Murphy in 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F'

Kevin Bacon is reflecting on uniting with another '80s legend.

While speaking with PEOPLE recently about his two upcoming releases, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and MaXXXine, Bacon, 65, spoke highly of his costar Eddie Murphy.

It's a "bucket list thing to work with him. He is one of our greatest movie stars ever," Bacon says of Murphy, 63, who reprises his role in the Beverly Hills Cop series for the first time in 30 years with the new sequel.

While Murphy and Bacon saw their rise to fame happen around the same time — the original Beverly Hills Cop released the same year as Bacon's Footloose — Bacon says he does not necessarily remember spending any time with Murphy back then.

"Our paths never crossed in the '80s. We never worked together. I don't remember even having met him — I'm sure we probably did, but I don't remember," Bacon says, before noting that Murphy's legendary comedic skills were on display seemingly without even really trying while making the new movie.

Related: Kevin Bacon Hasn't Been to the Oscars in 40 Years: 'I Was the It Boy of the Year' When I Attended

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

"Eddie is somebody who is a very relaxed and loose and present actor. He comes in and famously does a lot of improvising," Bacon says.

"But when he improvises, there's improvisation where you can really feel that the improviser is trying to go for a laugh. I never saw him trying to be funny either on camera or off camera, and he's still hilarious. To the point where sometimes I was about to lose it just because he would look at me."

Related: Eddie Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Team Up in High-Energy Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Trailer

"He really watches the person that he is working with," Bacon says of Murphy. "I'd noticed that he will pick up on some little thing that the other person is doing or saying or whatever, and kind of put it back to them. It was great. I loved working with him."

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is on Netflix July 3. Bacon's other new movie, MaXXXine, is in theaters July 5.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.