King Arthur star Charlie Hunnam has told how director Guy Ritchie first confused him with comedian Seth Rogen when the actor approached him for a role in his latest movie.
He admitted that he boarded a plane to persuade the film-maker to give him a part, but struggled to make a strong first impression.
He shared the awkward anecdote at the film’s European premiere on Wednesday, after eventually landing the leading role as the legendary king himself.
“At first, Guy wasn’t receptive to the idea because he didn’t even know who I was,” Charlie told reporters.
“It transpired later on that he thought I was someone else, so I’m glad I did make the effort because he had immediately said ‘no I’m not interested in that guy’. I think he thought I was Seth Rogen.”
The British star worked with the curly haired US rom-com actor in the 2001 comedy series Undeclared.
But he said he was not put off by the unlikely comparison, adding: “There’s a lot of competition in this industry and you have to fight for what you want.”
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword sees Charlie, 37, star alongside Jude Law, Eric Bana, Game Of Thrones star Aidan Gillen and even former footballer David Beckham.
He told the Press Association at the London event that it was the role he felt he was born to play.
He said: “It’s very exciting, a little intimidating, and quite an honour. I feel like I have been playing a version of King Arthur for a lot of my life because John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981) made me want to become an actor, and then I spent most of my childhood messing around with swords and pretending to be either a knight or a wizard.
“So I had a lot of practise pretending to play King Arthur before actually being hired to do it professionally.”
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword is released in UK cinemas on May 19.
