Eddie Murphy passed up JAMES BROWN's request to play the late legendary entertainer on the big screen - because he's convinced Wesley Snipes was made for the role.

The 48-year-old comedian won Brown over with his hilarious impersonation of the singer in a series of skits on U.S. sketch show Saturday Night Live in the 1980s.

And when they met years later, Murphy was shocked when the soul star approached him about making a biopic.

But Murphy doesn't regret passing up the offer, because he's convinced 46-year-old action star Snipes is perfect for the role - and he's begging movie studio bosses to produce the project.

He says, "Wesley Snipes is a wonderful actor. Before the karate movies and stuff, when Wesley first got into the movies, he did drama and comedy. He's got all the talent. He does everything but he turned into the action dude. But James Brown isn't just singing and splits, you've got to chase the car and the crack heads. You've got to do the stunts. I'm too old to do the splits. They should make that movie with Wesley Snipes tomorrow."

Brown died in 2006 at the age of 73.