How Conor McGregor Really Feels About His Road House Nude Scene
"The Notorious" Conor McGregor has made waves as a professional fighter, making headlines as a mixed martial artist and even facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. in boxing. He's now stepping into an entirely new arena: Hollywood. McGregor stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Daniela Melchior in Amazon Prime Video's remake of the 1989 action favorite "Road House," taking on the role of Knox. Suffice to say, his early foray into acting was quite the unusual one. In addition to accidentally punching Gyllenhaal in the face on the set, McGregor also had to pull off a nude scene.
While one might imagine that someone as unfamiliar with acting as McGregor would find a nude scene immensely daunting and even embarrassing, the former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion said he wasn't bothered by the moment one bit. He told People at the South by Southwest event that he didn't mind stripping down to his skin for the movie, explaining, "I thought, 'I'll do it. I don't mind.' It's going to be a shock to people, I think." Of course, he shared with a laugh that he didn't go out of his way to tell his mother about it, though he hopes she's okay with it.
McGregor also compared the scene to one of the most iconic in film history, centered on another athlete-turned-actor who was just finding his footing in entertainment at the time.
McGregor looked to The Terminator for reassurance
Even though Conor McGregor eventually found himself comfortable enough to go nude for "Road House," it took a bit of preparation to find the courage to pull the scene off. The fighter shared one such source of inspiration with People, revealing that he looked to director James Cameron's 1984 science fiction classic "The Terminator." More specifically, he looked to the scene where the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) arrives in the year 1984 from 2029, emerging from a ball of lightning wearing absolutely nothing and having to walk into a crowded bar to find clothes.
"I said to myself, 'Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the movie business in a similar manner when he was standing on the thing in 'The Terminator,' so that kind of gave me a bit of confidence," McGregor said of his mindset going into the scene. Considering that Schwarzenegger went on to great success following "The Terminator," truly solidifying his transition from professional bodybuilding into acting, perhaps the same is in store for McGregor post-"Road House." Only time will tell what his professional future holds.
McGregor found the nudity freeing
The parallels between Conor McGregor and Arnold Schwarzenegger's nude scenes don't stop at them having to go through with them as emerging Hollywood stars. Much like "Terminator" did with Schwarzenegger, "Road House" required McGregor to walk through a crowd of people while wearing nothing. This could've easily added an extra layer of stress for him, on top of the uncomfortable nature of wearing nothing in front of his co-stars and the film's crew behind the camera, but that wasn't the case.
During his chat with People, McGregor noted that the scene was rather freeing and that his physique made it a bit easier for him to go through with. He said, "I just got into just going naked and walking through the street — that was it. I just did it. I'm a free spirit. I was in good shape, so I have no problem with it." At the same time, he added that making a movie is no walk in the park. "I was taken aback by how hard it is and had a deep respect for the craft," McGregor told the publication of his changed perception and newfound appreciation for the art form.
"Road House" is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.