“I came in maybe with a little chip on my shoulder”: Conor McGregor’s Road House Role Was to Prove Meryl Streep Wrong After Her Hurtful Comment Towards Martial Artists
After years of speculation, former UFC champion Conor McGregor successfully made his debut in the acting world. To make it as impactful as possible and provide a powerful reply to Meryl Streep’s previous comment, the MMA fighter took on the role of the leading antagonist in Road House.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s starrer Road House is out on Prime Video, which is the remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze action flick Road House. In this newly released film, Conor McGregor secured the role of Knox, with a pure intention to represent MMA and prove it is also a form of art.
Half of the MMA fighter’s motivation to star in Road House came from Meryl Streep, as the actress publicly insulted martial arts years ago during the 2017 Golden Globes. The Devil Wears Prada star’s comments stated that MMA isn’t an art, resulting in hurtful feelings to many MMA fighters including Conor McGregor.
Conor McGregor Proves Meryl Streep Wrong Through His Newly Released Road House
Conor McGregor‘s debut in the entertainment world was widely speculated by fans, and now finally the former UFC champion has made it to our screens through the remake of 1989 Patrick Swayze‘s Road House, alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
However, what’s earning more attention is the MMA fighter’s determination to represent his Mixed Martial Arts after Meryl Streep insulted his field during her award acceptance speech at the 2017 Golden Globes. The Sophie’s Choice star was commending the contributions of foreign actors in Hollywood and said:
“Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners. And if we kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
Following the actress’s comments various MMA fighters including Conor McGregor felt the disrespect of their field, as Streep’s words seemed to be disregarding the status of martial arts. McGregor told The Hollywood Reporter that:
“Fighting is the most beautiful form of art, and you know, it’s a great thing to come into this game, which is also art… It’s real artistry for those who do what we do, so I came in [to filming Road House] with maybe a little chip on my shoulder and wanting to represent my sport and my art, give my best in this arena.”
Conor McGregor explained his passion and respect for fighting motivated him to do Road House, and that he considers it pure art. In the film, McGregor’s Knox faces off with Gyllenhaal’s titular character. The former UFC champion was extremely excited to “expand his storied career to Hollywood”, and his role in Road House clearly proves it.
Conor McGregor Reveals Most of His Fight Scenes in Road House Involved Real Physicaltiy
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While talking about the authenticity of scenes in Road House, Conor McGregor revealed that he used his real-life experiences while shooting fight scenes. Despite having stunt doubles on set, the MMA fighter chose not to completely rely on them. During the New York City premiere of Road House, McGregor said (via People):
“It wasn’t fake fighting… I don’t think so. As a man who fights for a living, it was very, very real. Very much real. There were real shots landed.”
As revealed by the Nightcrawler star, McGregor even punched Jake Gyllenhaal while shooting a scene, but the actors sorted out the situation and enjoyed filming Road House. Gyllenhaal also mentioned Conor McGregor advising him before shooting the fight scenes, which turned out really helpful.
Road House is available on Prime Video.
