Charlie Hunnam was willing to go to extreme lengths to land the lead in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur .
During an interview with Empire Online , the former Sons of Anarchy star revealed that he lost his temper while auditioning for the legendary role.
Apparently, Ritchie pushed Hunnam so hard about his fitness that the actor eventually snapped.
“I said, ‘You know what? F**king stop the camera. I’m starting to lose my temper,’” Hunnam recalled saying.
Hunnam then challenged the other two actors that were vying for the spot, which included Henry Cavill and Michael Fassbender.
“‘I know those other pricks you’ve got reading for this role. If you bring them in right now, I’ll f**king fight them both at once for the role, and we’ll see what’s up with the physicality,’… Guy said, ‘F**king hell, alright — calm down, mate.’”
A tough task, to say the least, considering Cavill plays Superman and Fassbender stars in the new Assassin’s Creed.
The outburst obviously paid off, and Ritchie offered the role to Hunnam.
For Hunnam, Express reports that landing the part of King Arthur was a dream come true.
“[It was] a childhood dream to play King Arthur,” Hunnam admitted.
Of course, Ritchie’s King Arthur is nothing like previous renditions of the legendary character.
Just like Ritchie re-imagined Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), the director wanted to put a completely different spin on the British king.
“We wanted to make an ignoble Arthur, at least at first,” Hunnam explained. “We wanted him to feel contemporary, selfish, somewhat rough around the edges.”
Given Charlie Hunnam’s experience playing rough and violent characters, like Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy , Ritchie made a good choice casting him for the part.
In addition to the character changes, Hunnam also discussed how Ritchie created a new world for his King Arthur to rule.
“[Ritchie’s] created a very rich, exciting world,” he said. “I described it to my friends as Lord of the Rings meets Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels . [It’s] an unlikely marriage of two things, but it works.”
While Hunnam is excited to play King Arthur, TMZ is reporting that his favorite version of the character isn’t himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zw-o7SxpqE
After all, Hunnam has some pretty big shoes to fill with stars like Sean Connery, Richard Harris, and Clive Owen taking up the mantel.
For Hunnam, his favorite version of the story is the 1980s movie by John Boorman, Excalibur .
“My favorite was the John Boorman Excalibur when I was a kid,” Hunnam revealed. “That was a really important film to me in my youth and sort of cultivating my dream to become an actor … As like a 5 or 6-year-old that was the genesis of my journey to become an actor.”
Meanwhile, this year has proven to be a busy one for the Sons of Anarchy alum.
Along with starring in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword , Entertainment Weekly revealed that Hunnam just landed a part in Drake Doremus’ new film.
Hunnam will star opposite Lea Seydoux in the upcoming movie, which is still untitled.
The pair will play lovers in the film, which is described as telling a “unique love story.”
Doremus’ most recent work, Equals , also featured an unusual love story about a couple who fell in love while society eradicated human emotion. The movie starred Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult.
At the same time, Hunnam is also getting ready to appear in The Lost City of Z , which is set to premiere at the end of the New York Film Festival this year.
Hunnam plays the lead role in the movie, which centers on the story of a British explorer.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is scheduled to open in theaters on March 24, 2017.
Tell us! Are you excited to see Charlie Hunnam’s version of King Arthur? Watch the preview below and let us know in the comments section.
[Image via Warner Bros.]