Eddie Murphy returned to the Saturday Night Live stage for the first time in three decades during last weekend’s 40th anniversary celebration for the iconic sketch-comedy show, but the Nutty Professor star reportedly refused to participate in one of the special’s more controversial skits. Murphy was asked to portray scandal-scarred comedian Bill Cosby in a “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch, but his friend and fellow SNL alum Norm Macdonald revealed on Twitter that he couldn’t be convinced to “kick a man while he’s down.”

Norm Macdonald released a lengthy series of tweets to give fans a behind-the-scenes look into the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, and revealed that it was his job to convince Murphy to impersonate Cosby in a fan-favorite “Celebrity Jeopardy” skit, and wear one of the controversial comedian’s iconic sweaters while mixing a cocktail. Despite Macdonald’s best efforts, he couldn’t convince Murphy to portray Cosby, even after telling him that the bit would “bring the house down.”

“We talk in his dressing room for a good hour. When it’s over, I’m convinced he’ll do it,” Macdonald wrote, before later tweeting, “He doesn’t.”

“He will not a kick a man when he’s down. Eddie Murphy is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laugh,” tweeted Macdonald. “Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rockstar even, in a room with actual rockstars.”

Once Cosby caught wind of Murphy’s refusal to take part in the “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch, he released a statement to NBC News praising Murphy’s decision.

“I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions,” Cosby said.

The Cosby bit was still included in the “Celebrity Jeopardy” sketch despite Murphy’s refusal, and it was current SNL cast member Kenan Thompson that ended up donning the Cosby sweater and revealing his cocktail recipe during a Video Daily Double.

“There were Cosby sweaters prepared for the entire cast, just in case,” SNL costume designer Tom Broecker told Confidenti@l earlier this week.