Conor McGregor worries he’s upset people by saying no to acting roles.
The former UFC two-division champion is set to make his movie debut alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a remake of the 1989 cult classic film, Road House – which originally starred Patrick Swayze.
McGregor and Gyllenhaal struck up a friendship on setCredit: AFP
The reboot will air exclusively on Amazon Prime Video from March 21.
It’ll follow ex-UFC fighter Elwood Dalton [Gyllenhaal] as he takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that the paradise is not all it seems.
McGregor serves as Dalton’s nemesis Knox in the movie he claims has made him the ‘highest-paid first-time actor of all time’ after spurning advances from Hollywood for years.
The 35-year-old recently opened up about his previous flirtations with the movie business and suggested they may have left him with a few powerful enemies.
“I had turned down a good few roles in my time on the climb,” McGregor told Total Film.
“I’ve had directors show up at fight camp, really beautiful directors doing really top-end movies… And over and over, they’d come to me, and I always turned them down.
“I’d leave people a little high and dry. I probably have a few enemies out there that I don’t really know of because I had said, ‘I might do it’.”
After breaking his leg during a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in July 2021, McGregor’s diary opened up and he was able to finally film his first scenes as an actor.
The UFC superstar plays the bad guy in his movie debutCredit: @TheNotoriousMMA – x
McGregor thinks he may have annoyed some people in film during his rise to the topCredit: Zuffa LLC via Getty
The Irishman was probably wondering why he took so long to transition to film as he claims to have loved every second of the movie-making process.
McGregor added: “I was just in awe of it all, to be honest with you, the whole process.
“I didn’t know how I was going to take to it. I didn’t know whether I was going to like it, to be honest. I’m a fighting man – that’s my bread and butter. It’s where I come from.
“I’m not an actor, but I’m show business. That was my vibe to it. I felt that. I enjoyed every second of it.”
‘Notorious’ documented his first time on set on social mediaCredit: @thenotoriousmma – instagram
McGregor had hoped to have made his eagerly anticipated comeback and competed in multiple fights before the Road House remake release date.
However, his spell on the sidelines is edging closer to three years, despite the fact he’s been booked to face lightweight contender Michael Chandler since February 2023.
‘Mystic Mac’ is growing increasingly impatient with UFC CEO Dana White, who hopes to see his biggest star return to the Octagon before 2024 is over.
McGregor may choose to pursue other opportunities in boxing or acting if his MMA return continues to be hit by delays.