James Norton is best-known for his role in Happy Valley as the sinister murderer Tommy Lee Royce. But despite a charismatic performance, it was apparently a lack of charisma that saw him turned down for a major role.
Speaking to The Guardian, James revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Christian Grey in the hit franchise, 50 Shades of Grey. He told the publication: "I remember the director saying, 'Can you be a bit more charismatic?' That's the hardest thing to just try and do! Especially since I was too young and self-conscious to even really know what she meant."
The role ultimately went to Jamie Dornan, which helped launch him to superstardom. The film franchise itself was incredibly popular, and it generated over £1.3 billion at the box office.
The series has followed the star around and reflecting on its impact in 2024, the Irish actor told Deadline: "I have just had very glowing reviews for recent work and there wouldn't be many of them that don't mention Fifty Shades in them. A lot of reviews are like, 'He's great, but lest we forget when he wasn't great…' But regrets that I did them, no."
Upcoming work
Missing out on 50 Shades hasn't done James's career any damage, as the star has landed several major roles since then, including Grantchester, The Trial of Christine Keeler and Bob Marley: One Love.
The actor also has plenty of upcoming work including King and Conqueror, in which he plays Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon King of Britain who perished in the Battle of Hastings.
HELLO!'s Acting TV and Film Editor Nicky Morris remarked: "James Norton is one of the UK's hottest young talents right now.
"Not only has he got an impressive CV of epic dramas behind him, but he's also founded his own production company, Rabbit Track Pictures, giving him creative freedom both in front of and behind the camera. I'm so excited to watch his latest series, King & Conqueror and can't wait to see what he does next."
On his new series, he confessed to The Guardian: "It's the closest I've ever come to feeling like I'd bitten off too much. I started using the word 'burnout', which is just, like, oh God."
He added: "I put my hands up and admit I didn't know the story at all. I just had a vague gloss of it from school.
"I wasn't aware of the relationship Harold and William had before the battle, that they were friends and allies for many years before they realised that, because of the way Europe was being carved up, they would both inevitably end up on a battlefield – and one of them would have to die."