Conor McGregor’s role in the upcoming ‘Road House’ remake has been the talk of the town for a while now. The Irish MMA star will make his big-screen debut in the Jake Gyllenhaal starring ‘re-imagining’ of the 1980s cult-classic action film. During the promotional tour for the movie, McGregor had indicated in an interview with Talk Sport MMA, “I think it’s evident that I’m not an actor per se, but I’m definitely show business.”
However, in a recent conversation, the Irish MMA icon revealed that the shooting of the movie led to some very close calls for his co-star. But even with the challenges of stepping into unfamiliar territory, McGregor has also received praise from Gyllenhaal for his performance despite being on the receiving end of a few “wallops”!
Conor McGregor’s UFC comeback almost happened on ‘Road House’ set
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‘Road House’ will be arriving on Amazon Prime Video on March 21. Directed by Doug Liman, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as ‘Dalton’, a role previously played by the legendary Patrick Swayze in the 1989 original.
Conor McGregor stars in the film as Knox, the ‘bad guy’ in the movie, and in a recent interview, he revealed how the fight scenes between him and Gyllenhaal led to the Hollywood star being on the receiving end of ‘The Notorious’s famed punches!
During a press event, McGregor was asked, “I heard you accidentally hit Jake (Gyllenhaal) in the face? Is that true?” to which he responded by revealing, “One or two little wallops, but what’s a fight between friends eh? At the lovely Road House. But he gave it back too, he gave it back too.”
He further went on to state, “Jake’s a consummate professional, he took it well and gave it right back. That’s what you gotta do, you gotta get up and fight right back.” In fact, Gyllenhaal was not the only person on set who made things a bit too real with McGregor. In another interview, the Irishman stated that he had a similar rapport with some of the stuntmen, with whom he exchanged real blows to add authenticity to the fight sequences. And this dedication from the ‘Mac’ did not go unnoticed.
In another interview, Gyllenhaal also revealed how impressed he was by Conor McGregor’s dedication to approaching his movie role with the same dedication as only an elite fighter can!
‘The Notorious’ and his work ethic receive high praise from Jake Gyllenhaal
Conor McGregor’s foray into acting has garnered praise from his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal. While Gyllenhaal dealt with the challenges of accurately representing his role as a UFC fighter in the film, he was left stunned at McGregor’s approach to working in the unfamiliar territory of acting.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, he stated, “I think we all had great respect for the fight game. Same thing with Conor when he came to the movie set. He came in and said, ‘I’m a white belt. I’m here to learn. I don’t know anything about making movies or acting, and I want to learn.’”
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During the interview, Gyllenhaal also highlighted McGregor’s challenges with learning to fight for the camera vs. fighting in real life. He revealed, “I think Conor had a learning curve in learning how to fake fight was not (natural).”
And so, as the premiere of ‘Road House’ on Amazon Prime Video draws near, fans eagerly anticipate McGregor’s portrayal of the villainous ‘Knox.’ The 35-year-old’s dedication to his role and natural charm promises an engaging on-screen presence that fans won’t soon forget.
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Do you think Conor McGregor should pursue a career in Hollywood in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
