When Charlie Hunnam's name was first attached to the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, there was an instantaneous reaction by women everywhere. Those not too familiar with Hunnam's work seemed to think he did not exactly look like their mental image of Christian Grey, and those who already liked the Sons of Anarchy star thought his rough-and-tumble style might be a perfect fit. Hunnam pulled out of the film adaptation pretty quickly and, of course, rumors took over. Did he not have chemistry with Dakota Johnson, the woman who needs to play a convincing Anastasia Steele, or were the scripts garbage?
Hunnam insisted it really was bad timing, an excuse many were not ready to accept because surely he already had his schedule when he first agreed to the role, right? Well, Hunnam is covering the December 2014 issue of Men's Health — to perfection — and in the accompanying interview he explains the real story about backing out of Fifty Shades of Grey.
"I was going to finish playing a psychopath who'd just lost his wife, and five days later I'd be on set playing Christian Grey. I was like, 'This is going to be a f--king disaster. It was the opposite of how I've tried to ground my career, not stretch myself too thin, and always do my homework. There's a tendency in this Hollywood machinery to take on too much. You end up not being able to give everything you want."
See? There actually was no behind-the-scenes clash or negativity right off the bat that chased Hunnam away. It really was his own eagerness to work that prompted him to take the role and then a self-care reality check prompted him to change his mind. It also sounds like the actor has no regrets in his final decision, either.
Do you think that ultimately it will be better for Hunnam's career in the long run not to portray Christian Grey? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
