James Marsden reveals that he turned down the role of Magic Mike for fear that he ‘was just an extra running around’
He has a number of hit films to his name, including The Notebook, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, Superman Returns and the X-Men film series.
But one blockbuster that James Marsden went through was the striptease comedy Magic Mike.
During an appearance on James Corden’s The Late Late Show, Marsden, 47, admitted that he now regrets having refused the role offered him in the Steven Soderbergh film.
Fear of the thong: James Marsden, 47, admitted that he regrets having refused the role he was offered in the 2012 Magic Mike movie about male strippers and said it was due to a ‘lack of courage’
“There were some things I said no in the past that I am happy to have said no and some things that maybe if I could redo it, I would do it again,” the actor told Corden Tuesday night.
Marsden explained that he gave up for “lack of courage”.
“I was afraid that I would be eliminated from the film and all my lines would be cut off and I would just be an extra running around,” he joked.
He added: “I have friends and family who still think it was a smart idea not to do that because they don’t want to see me like this.”
Missed opportunity: “I was afraid of being eliminated from the movie and all my lines would be cut and I would just be an extra running around”, he joked with James Corden in The Late Late Show Tuesday
Box office success: Magic Mike centered on the character of Channing Tatum, who makes his living as a stripper at the Xquisite Strip Club in Tampa, Florida, and stars Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer and Matthew McConaughey
Relief: Marsden added: ‘I have friends and family who still think it was a smart idea not to do that because they don’t want to see me like this’
Released in 2012, Magic Mike starred Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Matthew McConaughey.
The comedy-drama centers on Tatum’s character Mike, who makes his living as a stripper at the Xquisite Strip Club in Tampa, Florida, which belonged to former stripper Dallas, played by McConaughey.
The film cemented Tatum as the protagonist and also helped cement the careers of Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer in cinema.
TV roles: Marsden was most recently seen on the small screen in Netflix’s Dead To me with Christina Applegate on the left and HBO’s Westworld with Talulah Riley on the right
Movie star: he also has a number of hit movies, including The Notebook, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, Superman Returns and the X-Men movie series (portrayed as Cyclops in X-Men 2)