Charlie Hunnam says it was “pretty heartbreaking” to exit the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Speaking at a Fox event for the Television Critics Association press tour, the “Sons of Anarchy” star told The Associated Press he still believes in the project and wishes he could have worked with director Sam Taylor-Johnson.
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“I’m just really excited to see it,” he said. “I’m really, really curious.”
He also dismisssed criticism that “Grey” author E.L. James writes “mommy porn.”
“I think people really do that book a disservice when they reduce it to that type of talk,” he said. “What (E.L. James) actually created is a really sophisticated dynamic and presented it in a package which was accessible to people who normally would be terrified of that subject … Actually, what she did was pretty brilliant.”
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Hunnam would have played a sexual dominant who develops a complicated relationship with an innocent college student played by Dakota Johnson. He dropped out of the film one month after he was announced as its lead, citing conflicts with his TV schedule. He was replaced by actor Jamie Dornan.
Hunnam said he would be willing to have his audition tape released as a DVD extra, and said Dornan is “probably a lot better looking and a lot smoother” than he is.
“I would’ve brought a certain rugged charm to (the role) but believe me, he’s going to do just fine.”
“Fifty Shades,” from Universal Pictures and Focus Features, is scheduled to open on Valentine’s Day in 2015.