James Brown Wanted Eddie Murphy to Play Him in a Biopic After ‘SNL’ Celebrity Hot Tub Sketch | Video
James Brown liked Eddie Murphy’s celebrity hot tub skit on “Saturday Night Live” so much that he suggested the comedian play him in a biopic.
Murphy explained to Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” Monday – after being shown a photo of him, Brown, Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton – that the singer approached him after the two worked together on a project and said Murphy should help him tell his life story by playing him in a movie.
“He came up to me afterward and was like, ‘You should do my life story,'” Murphy said, falling into an impression of Brown. “I was like, ‘James, wouldn’t people be laughing?’ And he said, ‘They ain’t going to laugh if you do it serious. People are going to know that you’re serious.'”
Murphy added that Brown pivoted quickly to complimenting the size of Murphy’s arms and introducing the comedian to his daughter.
“So he said, ‘I know you’re married, but my daughter’s available,'” Murphy said. “I laughed and he said, ‘I’m serious.’ So he must have liked the impression! He said, ‘Do my life story, have my daughter.'”
Murphy starred on “Saturday Night Live” from 1980 to 1984. One of the skits he became most known for on the sketch comedy series was impersonating Brown in “James Brown’s Celebrity Hot Tub Party,” which saw the comic dancing and tip-toeing around a bubbling hot tub while singing about how hot the water is. He eventually stripped down to a Speedo and jumped in. The sketch aired in 1983 during the show’s ninth season.
You can watch both the original “SNL” skit and Murphy’s full “Tonight Show” interview in the videos below.
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