Charlie’s connection to the movie caused a storm of controversy, first when the casting was announced and then again when Charlie dropped out of the project.
At the time, the actor cited family issues as one of the reasons behind his departure from the film – but now, he’s speaking out about the “nervous breakdown” he suffered.
“I was going to finish ‘Sons’ at like 11 p.m. Friday night, get on the plane Saturday morning to Vancouver for ‘Fifty,’ missing the whole first week of rehearsal and start shooting Monday morning,” Charlie explained to Moviefone.
“And I was going to shoot that film, wrap that on the Wednesday and the following Monday I was going to start shooting ‘Crimson Peak’ in Toronto. I just had like … frankly, something of a nervous breakdown.”
Jamie Dornan will now step into the shoes of Christian Grey. Image: Twitter
It wasn’t just the scheduling issues that had him getting cold feet, however. When Charlie was announced as the official choice to play Christian Grey, he faced heated debate from fans – many of whom had their own ideas about who should play the mysterious entrepreneur.
In fact, some even started an online petition to voice their disappointment over the casting – so it’s not surprising that the huge expectations surrounding Fifty Shades also influenced Charlie’s decision.
“I really didn’t want to fail on such a grand scale and I just couldn’t transition from Jax Teller to Christian Grey in 48 hours,” he told Moviefone.
“I bit off more than I could chew and it was painful. I loved the character and I wanted to do it.”
In the end, the role ended up going to 32-year-old Jamie Dornan, who stars opposite Dakota Johnson. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait until Valentine’s Day next year to see how the British actor handles the pressure of being Christian Grey!
