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Charlie Hunnam: '50 Shades' departure was 'heartbreaking'

The "Sons of Anarchy" star opens up about his sudden exit from the forthcoming "50 Shades of Grey" adaption.

By Kate Stanton
UPI/Jim Ruymen
UPI/Jim Ruymen | License Photo

LOS ANGELES, June 2 (UPI) -- Charlie Hunnam was quickly replaced by Jamie Dornan when the Sons of Anarchy star suddenly dropped out of the highly anticipated 50 Shades of Grey adaptation.

Hunnam cited a busy schedule, though he was rumored to have gotten "cold feet" over the intense media scrutiny that would accompany the film franchise.

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Now that the dust has settled, the 34-year-old actor has addressed the casting shake up in more detail.

"I felt like I had an interesting take on that character and felt like I could have done a good job of playing Christian Grey, otherwise I wouldn't have taken it on in the first place," he told Life & Style on Sunday.

"When you put the time into something like that and a character comes alive in your mind, it's heartbreaking not to be able to play him [...] It was definitely kind of heartbreaking having to say goodbye to that character and not bring it to life," he said.

Dornan, a Calvin Klein model who played a serial killer in The Fall, eventually got the lead. He'll star opposite Dakota Johnson when the film hits theaters next year.

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