R&B star Ne-Yo turned down the opportunity to play Martin Luther King, Jr. in a new movie after film bosses asked him to gain 30 pounds for the role.

The singer/actor, who has previously appeared in big screen blockbusters including Battle: Los Angeles and Red Tails, is preparing to release new album R.E.D. and he wasn't willing to gain weight to play the civil rights activist before his music promotion geared up.

He tells Britain's Sunday Mirror, "I definitely want to do more acting but it's got to make sense with the music. I recently had to turn down an amazing opportunity to be in a movie playing Martin Luther King."

"They wanted to start shooting at the time my album R.E.D. comes out 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."