Norm Macdonald took to Twitter to share a story about how Eddie Murphy rejected an offer to play Bill Cosby on last Sunday’s SNL 40th Anniversary Special.
Macdonald, who anchored Weekend Update during his tenure on SNL years ago, posted several tweets explaining the idea that Eddie Murphy almost played Bill Cosby in the Celebrity Jeopardy sketch that occurred during the beginning of the show this past Sunday. Macdonald also talks about the writing process, how the idea came about, and how it eventually ended up getting nixed from the show.
Eddie Murphy endured some criticism this week after being hyped as returning to SNL after 30 years, only to come out on stage say thank you, clap and leave after 73 seconds. Fans thought it was somewhat of a letdown given all the buzz around his appearance and the fact that he singlehandedly kept the show alive in the ’80s.
Related: Check out our top 10 moments from SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special!
Check out the full transcript of Macdonald’s tweets on his official Twitter account.
Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down.
— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) February 19, 2015
Though we understand the significance of passing on the portrayal given the controversy surrounding Cosby, it would have played out exactly how Macdonald described it, and been one of the more talked-about moments for SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special.
SNL will return to its regular schedule next week when 50 Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson hosts for the first time with musical guest Alabama Shakes.