Key Takeaways:
– Meryl Streep's criticisms of football and mixed martial arts at the 2017 Golden Globes provoked backlash.
– Conor McGregor, UFC champion and actor, was particularly offended and motivated to prove Streep wrong in his acting debut.
– McGregor's performance in the 2024 film “Road House” is seen by many as a triumphant response to Streep's comments.
– The UFC star may have made between $6 – $10 million for his first Hollywood project and claims to be the highest-paid first-time actor.
The Backlash to Streep's Comments
Renowned actress Meryl Streep faced backlash for her comments at the 2017 Golden Globes. In her speech, she seemed to dismiss football and mixed martial arts as forms of art. Many fans and high-profile figures, especially those associated with these sports, expressed their displeasure.
One individual particularly offended by Streep's remarks was professional mixed martial artist Conor McGregor. Streep, known for roles in films like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Mamma Mia,” stirred controversy with her statement, “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts.”
McGregor's Response
McGregor, a renowned UFC champion, was quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, saying that he used Streep's comments as an impetus to excel. He revealed that these remarks encouraged him to give an exceptional performance in the film “Road House.” McGregor's statement was, “Fighting is the most beautiful form of art. 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.”
His passion for mixed martial arts transcends the sport itself and led him to zealously present it as an art form in his first feature film. McGregor firmly believed that his role in Road House exemplified the artistic aspects of martial arts.
McGregor's Role in Road House
In the remake of “Road House,” McGregor plays Knox, squaring off against Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Elwood Dalton, a UFC champion-turned-bouncer. McGregor's debut role is not only a testament to his acting chops but also a representation of the mixed martial arts as a reputable form of art.
He not only worked tirelessly to challenge Streep's perception, but he also claimed via a now-deleted tweet that he received a record-breaking salary for his first acting role. The tweet, as reported by Sportskeeda, read, “I'm the highest-paid first-time actor of all time, on record, pipping Dwayne Johnson for the top spot. Add that to the rest of my accolades.”
While the athlete's exact pay wasn't publicly disclosed, estimations suggest that McGregor could have potentially earned between $6 million and $10 million for his first Hollywood gig. These figures surpassed what Dwayne Johnson, one of the most successful athletes-turned-actors, earned for his debut role in 2001's “The Mummy Returns.”
In conclusion, McGregor's performance in “Road House,” available to stream via Amazon Prime, is a powerful response to Streep's controversial remarks. His successful transition from the ring to the silver screen proves that these sports, indeed, have artistic merits and are deserving of recognition.
