When Conor McGregor signed on to the Road House remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the MMA fighter had one specific goal in mind: Sticking it to acting legend Meryl Streep. Apparently, McGregor has been quietly nursing a wound from a speech Streep gave at the 2017 Golden Globes where she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
“Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners,” Streep said. “And if we kick them all out, you’ll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
While most people would’ve ignored the remark, McGregor latched on to it and used it for fuel after joining the Doug Liman-directed remake of the Patrick Swayze classic.
“Fighting is the most beautiful form of art, and you know, it’s a great thing to come into this game, which is also art,” he said. “I was really taken aback because fighting is an art. It’s brutal also, so I can understand. It’s not for somebody to make a mistake; it’s real artistry for those who do what we do, so I came in [to filming Road House] with maybe a little chip on my shoulder and wanting to represent my sport and my art, give my best in this arena.”
Unlike Streep, McGregor is open to artists switching formats, which is why he had nothing but glowing words to say about Gyllenhaal’s skills as a fighter. The MMA star would love to see the actor get in the ring.
“Jake’s a consummate professional, and he took it well and gave it right back,” McGregor said. “That’s what you gotta do. Gotta get up and fight right back.”
Road House starts streaming March 21 on Prime Video.
