The horrendous audition Nicholas Hoult called “my all-time worst”
Over the years, Nicholas Hoult has crafted himself into something of an acting Swiss army knife. Whether acting alongside his fellow X-Men as the younger version of Beast or being the snobby foodie that wants nothing to do with people in The Menu, Hoult’s conviction in every scene is rarely matched by any of his contemporaries. Although there are more than a few stand-out performances from Hoult throughout his career, he also has painful memories about the audition process.
Granted, the audition is always the most brutal beast to tackle for a role. Often having no proper actor around when performing, actors usually have to perform into the void as a tiny crowd of directors, executives, and producers look on to see if they can capture the right energy needed when it comes time for the cameras to turn on.
Although Hoult was already starting to make a name for himself in more minor roles in Hollywood in the early 2000s, he was given the opportunity of a lifetime when reading for Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Since the first entry in the series became one of the most successful fantasy movies of the decade, fans were waiting to see how the studio would adapt to the next phase of the saga, with Hoult among the many to make the call list for the titular prince.
Once he stepped into the audition, though, Hoult can only remember the pain and stress of having to change his entire approach. Rather than work with his traditional method of acting, Hoult was instructed to adopt an accent that made him sound Hispanic, which he admittedly could not pull off.
When talking about the ordeal later, Hoult told Entertainment Weekly, “I was doing the scene, but in my head before saying each line, I was trying to do my Antonio Banderas impression. It was horrendous. I sounded more like Borat”. While the accent didn’t work out in that particular instance, it didn’t take long for Hoult to find his footing again.
Shortly after the next Narnia film was released, Hoult would bounce back with his starring role in the fantasy film Clash of the Titans, starring alongside stars like Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. Considering his fantastic work playing Eusebios, Hoult was already being called in for the role of Beast in X:Men First Class, finally getting a chance to work alongside Chronicles of Narnia alumnus James McAvoy.
While Hoult would take on more operatic in action movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, his film resume saw him expanding his horizons in the coming years. Despite his penchant for taking part in over-the-top movies, his role in films like The Favourite gave fans a subtle taste of his subtle acting method, as well as filling the shows of acclaimed fantasy writer JRR Tolkien in the film of the same name.
That’s not to say that Hoult has been afraid to go over the top again, though, starring most recently alongside Nicholas Cage in the action comedy Renfield, where he stars as the titular servant of Dracula. Hoult has been accustomed to how far to take his performance, but the idea of a Borat-themed Prince Caspian was where he drew the line.
