Conor McGregor has admitted he is unlikely to act again despite winning rave reviews for his role in new action film Road House with Jake Gyllenhaal.
The UFC star, who has not fought since July 2021, made his acting debut alongside the Hollywood superstar in a replay of the late Patrick Swayzemovie from 1989.
He was hired to play the muscle-bound ‘Knox’ who clashes with Gyllenhaal’s protagonist, UFC fighter-turned-security ‘Elwood Dalton’. The new Dalton is a ripped fighter who becomes a bouncer for a seedy bar in the Florida Keys.
McGregor appeared with his co-star at the debut screening of the Amazon Prime film at the Curzon in Mayfair, London on Thursday.
He said he felt his co-star Gyllenhaal and director Doug Liman were both ‘fantastic’.
Conor McGregor, 35, posed with his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, 43, at the star-studded screening of Road House at the Curzon in Mayfair, London on Thursday
McGregor (pictured left) was hired to play muscular ‘Knox’ who clashes with Gyllenhaal’s protagonist, UFC fighter-turned-security ‘Elwood Dalton’
Here, Jake comes face to face with Conor, a massive UFC champion, in the dive bar
The UFC star said the filming process made him appreciate that his co-stars. Pictured: Conor as Knox in Road House.
He added: ‘Director Doug, he gave me confidence, made me feel like I was better than I probably was, I just enjoyed the whole process.’
The UFC star said the process made him appreciate that his co-stars were ‘really good actors’.
Asked if this was to be the start of his acting career, McGregor revealed that he plans to ‘get back into fighting shape’ so he can compete as a UFC fighter again.
He admitted that his recording schedule for Road House was grueling and went on: ‘It was hard work, and I’m used to hard work, but the schedule was intense.
‘I’m not sure I’ll go through it again, but it’s in the bank, it’s in the history books. Money may come and go, but this film will be there forever.’
Many film critics have praised the UFC star for his acting debut, with some saying he could be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Indie Wire’s film reviewer Christian Zilko said: ‘McGregor steals every scene he’s in.
‘It’s unclear how much of what he does is actually acting, as he simply plays a boisterous and charismatic Irishman who likes to punch people and show off his ridiculous tattoos.
Lukas Gage, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchoir, Jake Gyllenhaal and Billy Magnussen attend the London photocall for Prime Video’s ‘Road House’ earlier this week
Conor McGregor (pictured) is in the new Road House movie, where he plays opposite Jake Gyllenhaal
Road House had an impressive score of 76 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes (pictured: Conor McGregor leaving the debut screening at the Curzon in Mayfair)
McGregor has said he wants to return to UFC fights (pictured at the 2023 NBA Finals in Miami)
“But his first acting role could establish him as the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his generation.”
IGN, an American entertainment site, said of McGregor’s performance: ‘McGregor steals the show playing someone so insane that he trades his Ferrari for a driving school car because he feels like it, then stops the vehicle by crashing into a wood just for the hell of it.’
Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman said the UFC star’s performance was ‘fantastic’, adding: ‘Bearded and barrel-chested, with gleaming white teeth, he makes Knox move like a gorilla on pep pills, and the abundance of his killing rage could be out. of a ‘Mad Max’ movie.’
Writing for Empire, Boyd Hilton said, “It’s a daring and controversial piece of stunt casting, but after making a grand entrance, McGregor maintains an impressive level of hyper-intensity throughout.”
Meanwhile, Road House had an impressive 76 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews.
Despite the rave reviews, McGregor also revealed he was nervous about his family watching his performance – especially his children.
He said: ‘Obviously they can’t see and never will, to be honest! They have to have another cinema room closed off and they put on one of the children’s movies. I’m excited.’
McGregor has been out of the Octagon ever since breaking his lower leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021
McGregor has not fought in the UFC since losing his trilogy fight against Poirier in 2021
He also stressed: ‘I’m nervous about my mum seeing it.’
Setting his sights on his UFC comeback, the former two-weight champion said: ‘We’re still in the first quarter of this year, negotiations are ongoing. It’s a little bit lacking in transparency. I have two games left on my contract. I don’t think any of us know what their moves will be.
‘I just want a little more consistency in my training. Am I flat right now? No, I’m not right now, but I have been.
‘I planned early this year, I planned for January, I planned for December even before that. I had set up camps. I had a camp out in Cannes in the south of France, I also had a camp in Dubai, with some world champions with me.’
‘I had a solid camp and I was well prepared. Then you get a lack of transparency, it’s as if you’re left a little behind on ‘seen’. Then I just start to lose interest myself and get caught up in other things going on – sort of like that.
‘I just hope to get this done. The film is out in (approx.) 10 more days. When it’s out, my work is done. Then I have Paddy’s (St Patrick’s Day) celebrations with Forged Irish Stout and Proper Twelve (McGregor’s business ventures) to manage. Once that’s done, I’m packed away.
‘I’m still in shape, I’m still training. Like I said, I’ve had camps in the off. So if they just give me a date I’ll hopefully go with June 29th and that would be a goal for me.
‘It’s been a good three-and-a-half months (…) with the condition I’m in now.’
Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal has said he got tattoos for his character in ‘honour’ of the late Patrick Swayze when he was making a remake of his action thriller.
Dirty Dancing star Swayze played James Dalton, a New York bouncer hired to protect a bar in Jasper, Missouri, in the original 1989 film.
Jake Gyllenhaal Bared His Sculpted Torso In Sizzling New Poster For The Upcoming Remake Of 1980s Classic Road House
The original film starred Patrick Swayze as New York City bar bouncer James Dalton, who ends up working at a small-town nightclub in Missouri
The pair worked together in the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko, in which Gyllenhaal stars as a sleepwalking teenager and Swayze plays a motivational speaker.
Speaking at a special screening of the new Road House in London, Gyllenhaal said: ‘Patrick and I met when I was doing this film Donnie Darko very early in my career and he was always so generous and he was lovely to me and supportive throughout my career.
‘And then when it came time to try this, I thought about him a lot and I tried to honor him in different ways.
‘I have some tattoos in my character that we designed in honor of him, just to carry him with me while I was doing it. And I’m just a huge Patrick Swayze fan.’
Swayze died of pancreatic cancer in 2009, aged 57.
Reflecting on how he approached creating his character, Gyllenhaal added: ‘A big part of it is a sense of humour.
‘I think the whole movie is this wonderful, fun, exciting, but sometimes absurd, ride, and we’re always watching that throughout, and that’s what makes Doug Liman such a great filmmaker.
‘He always threads that needle and that’s why the film is so special.’
Road House will be released on March 21st on Amazon Prime.