Ne-Yo Turns Down Martin Luther King Movie Role, Refuses to Gain 30 Pounds

Ne-Yo says not even playing Martin Luther King Jr. is worth him packing on the pounds. The R&B singer, who recently held an event honoring George Lucas, says he turned down an opportunity to play MLK in a movie because he refused to gain 30 pounds.

“I definitely want to do more acting, but it’s got to make sense with the music,” he told Britain’s Sunday Mirror. “They wanted to start shooting [the Martin Luther King Jr. movie] at the same time my album R.E.D. comes out (September 18) 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 is no stranger to acting. He made his first major movie debut in 2007’s Stomp the Yard. Most recently, he played the role of Andrew ‘Smokey’ Salem in Red Tails.

Do you think Ne-Yo was foolish to turn down the role of a lifetime?