Taking a role in the Star Wars universe may seem like a no-brainer. To Domhnall Gleeson — aka General Armitage Hux — not so much. In fact, the popular Irish actor nearly turned down the role of the First Order commander in The Force Awakens and gave his reason why in a recent interview with Radio Times in the U.K. When it came down to it, fame was the issue:
“Why would I have thought of saying no? Fame is the end goal for a lot of people but it is not mine. I worried that the accompanying fame would get in the way of how I live my life.” And did it? “It got a little crazy for a couple of months – for a while, going out and having a drink with my friends was difficult, and then it died down.”
It’d be interesting if any fans came up to Gleeson and his drinking buddies to recite parts of the actor’s fiery speech in Force Awakens — perhaps more awkward than interesting. But it also shouldn’t surprise anyone that Gleeson prefers to blend in. He’ll be portraying Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne as the lead in Goodbye Christopher Robin, which hits theaters Oct. 13, but Gleeson has generally made his mark in smaller films or supporting roles — Ex Machina and The Revenant are perfect examples of that. More recently, Gleeson appeared in the controversial Darren Aronofsky film mother! and had a much bigger part in American Made starring Tom Cruise.
While a surge in fame once again is to be expected once Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits the big screen later this year, Hux will likely not be as significant to the plot as he was in Force Awakens, as the franchise will seemingly shift focus from the First Order to the Jedi. Gleeson has even referenced this when discussing the use of Hux in The Last Jedi marketing, stating his awareness that he isn’t one of the bigger characters and that it would make sense for him to take a backseat.
Regardless, fans can certainly expect the general to butt heads with Kylo Ren and have a meeting or two with Supreme Leader Snoke in person.
The film stars Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa, Daisy Ridley as Rey, John Boyega as Finn, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Lupita Nyong’o as Maz Kanata, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Laura Dern as Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, Andy Serkis as Supreme Leader Snoke, Domhnall Gleeson as General Armitage Hux, Benicio Del Toro as “DJ”, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and Jimmy Vee as R2-D2. Here’s the official synopsis:
In Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters Dec. 15. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of the Star Wars franchise as we learn it.
Source: Radio Times
