How a phone call from Tom Cruise almost landed 'Renfield' star Nicholas Hoult the role of his career
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Nicholas Hoult, who appeared recently alongside Nicolas Cage in the comedy slasher 'Renfield,' based on Dracula's lickspittle victim, revealed in a recent conversation that he had missed out on three major roles in a row after a flurry of screen tests and scheduling conflicts.
Hoult was cast at the age of five in the 1996 film 'Intimate Relations,' and made appearances in several television shows between 1998 and 2001. His big break came with his role in the 2002 comedy-drama 'About a Boy'. He said during a recent interview that he has lost major roles in movies like 'The Batman,' 'Top Gun: Maverick', and 'Mission: Impossible 7'.
READ MORE
Showtime's 'Waco: The Aftermath': How was Timothy McVeigh, the 'most hated man in America' executed?
Major disappointments for Nicholas Hoult before 2020
During a recent interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed that the pandemic was his longest-ever layoff, describing that he was shut down for seven months, the longest period he has ever spent not working. He said, “I think because I was just home being dad, which was nice. And it’s easy in this industry to get Fomo – like this person’s doing this, and that’s coming out, and it’s all happening for them. You want to be in the mix. But nothing was shooting, so it was quite peaceful.”
The actor went ahead to explain that his biggest disappointments came before 2020 as he screen-tested for 'The Batman' and 'Top Gun: Maverick' but he did not get the role in either of them. He then got a call from Tom Cruise himself who asked Hoult to be a part of 'Mission Impossible 7' which he did agree to but ultimately had to drop out due to being attached to Hulu's 'The Great' in which he stars as Emperor Peter III of Russia.
Nicholas Hoult aspires to be a part of a rom-com
The actor, who is famously known for being a part of acclaimed period pieces and fantasy movies, expressed his desire to be a part of romantic-comedy projects. He said, "I would like to go do a romcom, though maybe not as a romantic lead: it sounds like there's slightly less to explore with those characters. But maybe people just don't think of me like that, maybe I don't get sent the good ones. I'd love to pretend it's all my doing, but it's more about when things align and when directors cast you."
‘Renfield’, starring Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult is now playing in theaters nationwide from Universal Pictures.