“I did a bad audition”: Theo James Almost Starred in Hugh Jackman’s $442 Million Oscar-Winning Film
- Theo James revealed that he had a 'bad audition' for the musical Les Misérables.
- James talk about playing dual roles in The Monkey.
- Theo James shared how he approach the characters as complex as Bill and Hal in The Monkey
Actor Theo James rose to fame after he starred as Tobias Eaton in The Divergent film trilogy from 2014 to 2016 opposite Shailene Woodley. The actor was highly appreciated for his work in the trilogy, after which he appeared in horror projects, including Underworld: Awakening and Underworld: Blood Wars. Theo James starred in CBS’ crime drama series Golden Boy and later in a romantic series, The Time Traveler’s Wife.
Theo James garnered attention after he appeared as Cameron Sullivan in Mike White’s The White Lotus Season 2 in 2022. He was paired opposite Meghann Fahy and was highly appreciated for his work, earning a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. The actor recently revealed one movie that he could have been a part of, which starred Hugh Jackman.
Theo James talks about playing twins in The Monkey
Actor Theo James will be seen playing twins in a comedy-horror movie, The Monkey that is based on a 1980 short story by Stephen King.
Ahead of the release of the movie, the actor spoke to Josh Horowitz for his Happy Sad Confused podcast where he was asked about how much he enjoyed playing dual roles in the movie to which he said,
I did it once before for a kind of short-lived HBO TV show, which I enjoyed doing, but it was a good learning curve for this way because it’s a great thing to do, especially with this because you’re playing two sides of a different coin.
He added that he’s playing one character who is kind of grounded and then the other one who is a complete maniac. James mentioned that during his time on The Time Traveler’s Wife, he had understood that one needs to know about 60% of what they are going to do. James continued that one does not need to plan too much, as it affects naturalism.
However, talking about his role in The Monkey, he said he understood that he needed to know what he was doing because he realized that he would end up trapping himself into a performance on one side. Theo James, in his conversation with Sci-Fi Now, was asked how he approached characters, to which he said,
Osgood Perkins talked about his legacy with what’s happened in his own life and the idea of the monkey representing more than just its physical self. The existential money on one’s back. Anyone who has suffered from any kind of trauma as a child…how does that follow you in life?
The actor noted that such conversations were really important to him to understand the humor and the insanity of the characters through the lens of some real emotions. He added those conversations opened the door for him to approach his characters, Bill and Hal.
Theo James reveals one bad audition cost him a part in Les Misérables
During his conversation with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor was asked to pick between a superhero or a musical audition. Theo James revealed that he had auditioned for a musical years ago, which he didn’t get. He said,
I’d like to do a musical. I don’t think I’ve ever auditioned for one; maybe I did a bad audition for Les Misérables. I haven’t done it in a decade.
Les Misérables is a French epic period musical starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and more. Based on the 1862 novel of the same name, the movie follows the story of Jean Valjean, who, after being hunted for decades by a ruthless policeman, agrees to care for a factory worker’s daughter.
Upon release, the movie received a positive response from the critics as well as the audience, with many praising the direction, musical numbers, and performance of the cast. It grossed about $442 million at the box office. (via Box Office Mojo) Regarded as one of the best musical movies of the 21st century, Les Misérables went on to earn eight nominations at the 85th Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Actress Anne Hathaway, who starred as Fantine in the movie, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The movie also won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It would have been interesting to see Theo James singing in a period drama set against the background of the Jane Rebellion of 1832.
However, the actor’s career has been filled with adventures and characters he’s proud to play on-screen. The Monkey will be playing in cinemas from February 21, 2025.
