Kurt Russell is one of the most well-known and respected actors ever. Having starred in projects from all corners of Hollywood, and of many different genres, he has established himself as an extremely talented and versatile actor in the industry. His acclaim in projects like The Hateful Eight, The Thing, and Tombstone has helped him create a legacy that would be difficult to replicate.
Out of his entire filmography, one role stands out the most. Not due to it being jarring or bad, but because it is so unlike anything he has ever been a part of. In 2017, the actor made his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe through his role as Ego in The Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2. During an interview, the actor talked about how he felt when he was offered the role in the James Gunn film, as well as revealing that he felt a specific pressure when he joined the project.
Kurt Russell Could Not Turn Down The Role Of Ego
Kurt Russell played the role of Ego, the living planet, in the beloved Marvel series, The Guardians of the Galaxy. Though he only appears in one film, his character is one of the most important in the entire series, being the father of Peter Quill. During an interview with GQ, the actor talked about the story behind his decision to take up the role.
“When I saw Ego the Living Planet, I thought, ‘Well, that’s gonna be difficult to say no to.” said Kurt Russell.
Talking about the most iconic roles of his career, Russell mentioned that the moment he found out that he was under consideration for the role, he had one thing in mind. He stated that he knew that there was absolutely no way that he would be able to let the role go.
Kurt Russell Felt Intimidated With The Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Kurt Russell then went on to say that though he felt a sense of obligation to play the role, he also felt a wave of intimidation and fear. Playing a character as significant as this is a film series as iconic as this would put pressure on anyone, regardless of talent. The actor explained that the fact that the first Guardians of the Galaxy film did so well, put a sense of fear in him.
“I didn’t wanna wreck what was going to be a franchise. I’d done things at Disney’s where I’d done you know, as it were, part one, part two, part three. They had done really well in the first one and I said, ‘I don’t wanna come in here and put an end to this thing. You know? You want to make it go.”
He did not want to be the way the second film did not do as well as the first. He also understood that this would be turned into a multi-film series, understanding how Disney approaches its projects. Knowing this, Russell did not want to be the reason why the future of the franchise got ruined.
