Will Smith has turned down the lead role in moviemaker Cameron Crowe's new Marvin Gaye biopic.

The actor spent months in negotiations to portray the legendary soul man, and now Crowe, who has been trying to get the project off the ground for four years, is without a leading man again.

But the Almost Famous director isn't rushing to find his Gaye - he's determined to hire the right man for the role.

Crowe tells Daily Variety, "It's all about getting the contact high in a movie theatre that you can get from music. A record can change your life. Somebody poured their life into that little piece of music. To me that's a hero."

Will Smith Pictures