Writing extensively about preparations for the special anniversary show on Twitter, Macdonald - who reprised his impression of Burt Reynolds - said Murphy was close to accepting the idea, after discussions with mutual friend Brett Ratner.
"The first thing to do is cut down the number of contestant/impressions and the second is to contact Eddie and to convince him to do it," he explained.
"And on and on it went. I had not spoken to Eddie or @BrettRatner. I was dead sure Eddie would do it. Most others were not."
Murphy ultimately decided against the sketch, leaving Kenan Thompson to take the role instead.
"We talk in his dressing room a good hour. When it's over, I'm convinced he'll do it. He doesn't," Macdonald continued.
"He knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than any one.
"Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down."
Despite rejecting the idea, Macdonald praises Murphy, describing him as "the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars".
The 53-year-old actor did deliver a brief speech during Sunday's (February 15) show, after a 30-year absence.
Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news...snl-40s-celebrity-jeopardy.html#ixzz3SAGnL8aC
Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Too many superstars to take in all at one time. So happy my son could see them all.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568234746464980992">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm standing with my son, Lori Jo, and Chris Rock. We see Eddie from 100 yards away.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235286292926464">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rock says, "There he is. Like Ali in Zaire." Eddie, Bomaye.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235617567387648">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>It's my job to talk him in to doing Jeopardy.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235959839387648">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>We talk in his dressing room a good hour. When it's over, I'm convinced he'll do it.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236140735541248">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>He doesn't.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236197723529216">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>He knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than any one.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236410882236416">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236590331330560">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236763317026816">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236977730031616">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Quite a week.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568237061284573184">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
"The first thing to do is cut down the number of contestant/impressions and the second is to contact Eddie and to convince him to do it," he explained.
"And on and on it went. I had not spoken to Eddie or @BrettRatner. I was dead sure Eddie would do it. Most others were not."
Murphy ultimately decided against the sketch, leaving Kenan Thompson to take the role instead.
"We talk in his dressing room a good hour. When it's over, I'm convinced he'll do it. He doesn't," Macdonald continued.
"He knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than any one.
"Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down."
Despite rejecting the idea, Macdonald praises Murphy, describing him as "the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars".
The 53-year-old actor did deliver a brief speech during Sunday's (February 15) show, after a 30-year absence.
Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news...snl-40s-celebrity-jeopardy.html#ixzz3SAGnL8aC
Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Too many superstars to take in all at one time. So happy my son could see them all.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568234746464980992">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm standing with my son, Lori Jo, and Chris Rock. We see Eddie from 100 yards away.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235286292926464">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rock says, "There he is. Like Ali in Zaire." Eddie, Bomaye.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235617567387648">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>It's my job to talk him in to doing Jeopardy.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568235959839387648">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>We talk in his dressing room a good hour. When it's over, I'm convinced he'll do it.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236140735541248">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>He doesn't.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236197723529216">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>He knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than any one.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236410882236416">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236590331330560">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236763317026816">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rockstar even in a room with actual rockstars.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568236977730031616">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Quite a week.</p>— Norm Macdonald (@normmacdonald) <a href="https://twitter.com/normmacdonald/status/568237061284573184">February 19, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
