Ne-Yo Turns Down Chance To Play Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Over 30 Pounds
Ne-Yo turned down the role of a lifetime for vanity reasons. The R&B superstar revealed in a recent interview that he turned down the chance to portray Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a new movie because he didn’t want to gain the 30 pounds he was told he would need to gain for the role. Apparently, Ne-Yo doesn’t want to ruin his figure as he prepares to start promoting his upcoming album, R.E.D. He told Britain’s Sunday Mirror:
“I definitely want to do more acting but it’s got to make sense with the music. I recently had to turn down an amazing opportunity to be in a movie playing Martin Luther King.’
They wanted to start shooting at the time my album ‘R.E.D.’ comes out and wanted me to gain 30 pounds, so I couldn’t do it. I’m kicking myself but acting can’t take the place of my music. Plus, I’ve been killing myself in the gym for months preparing for this album because I wanted a complete makeover.”
Ne-Yo has really been racking up the acting credits in the last few years, including roles in movies such as Battle: Los Angeles and Red Tails, but playing Dr. King may have opened all kinds of doors for him in Hollywood. Nevertheless, I understand where he is coming from. At the end of the day, he’s a recording artist first, so that should take priority.
