The disgraced comedian says, 'I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions,' after Norm Macdonald revealed that Murphy refused to play Cosby in a 'Jeopardy!' parody.
- Feb 20, 2015
AceShowbiz - Bill Cosby has reacted to revelation that Eddie Murphy turned down a suggestion that he portrayed the disgraced comedian in a sketch on "Saturday Night Live" 40th anniversary special. Cosby thanks Murphy for refusing to poke fun at him, saying through a spokesperson, "I am very of Eddie and I applaud his actions."
Former cast member Norm Macdonald was the one who revealed that Murphy was about to be included in a "Celebrity Jeopardy" skit where he was supposed to play Cosby in a Daily Double video about "Favorite Cocktails". Macdonald said he and co-writers Steve Higgins and Lori Jo Hoekstra tried hard to convince Murpy to play the 77-year-old comedian, but in the end Murphy decided not to do it.
Macdonald explained in a series of Twitter posts, "Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down. Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs." He also praised the "Beverly Hills Cop" actor, "Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars."
Kenan Thompson eventually played Cosby in the sketch, while Murphy appeared on the star-studded special to deliver a monologue that some dubbed "awkward." His rep refused to comment on the story shared by Macdonald and only said, "Eddie was invited to attend the show, and he attended."
