Charlie Hunman Reveals How Playing A Gay Man Helped Prepare Him For 50 Shades Role

Christian Grey, a role that many men in Hollywood wouldn't dare to take. Charlie Hunman revealed how previously playing a gay character helped prepare him for 50 Shades of Grey.

Hunman landed his first acting job at 18, on a Channel 4 series.

"My first job was on a Channel 4 miniseries called Queer as Folk. It was incredibly explicit sexual scenes with a man," Hunman told The Hollywood Reporter.

"I mean I'm 16 and 17 years wiser now. So if I could do it when I was 18 with a guy, I can certainly do it at 33 with a lady."

Hunman played a gay role in Queer as Folk, which helped prepare him for his role as Christian Grey.

Charlie is set to star alongside Dakota Johnson, daughter of Melanie Griffith, who will play Anastasia Steele. The actor spoke of the chemistry between the pair as soon as they began reading the script.

"As soon as we got in the room and started reading with Dakota, I knew that I definitely wanted to do it, because there was a tangible chemistry between us," 

The highly anticipated onscreen adaption of EL James novels, Fifty Shade of Grey is due out next summer and since the lead roles have been revealed many have harshly criticised the choices.

The actor on the red carpet at last night's Sons of Anarchy premiere.

The 33-year-old spoke fondly about his long-term girlfriend, Morgana Mc Nelis, acknowledging that it’s “hard to be with an actor, “and how she helped make the decision to take the role.

"She read them and loved them and was really excited about the potential of the opportunity for me.”

"She's required to share parts of me that she wouldn't really want to share. With the nature of this role, that's going to be times 10," he said.

“If anything, I think it will make us closer. "