Ozark star Tom Pelphrey has confirmed that he auditioned for the role of Charles Xavier in Marvel Studios’ anticipated X-Men reboot, though the part was ultimately given to Christopher Abbott.
Earlier this month, Marvel Studios finally confirmed the cast of the eagerly-awaited reboot during the D23 Expo Disney panel, which includes Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Adam Driver as Mister Sinister/Nathaniel Milbury, and Maya Boyd as Storm.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Pelphrey confirmed that he was in the running for the iconic role of Professor X, previously played by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy.
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Asked before the casting of Abbott was announced how he felt about being a contender for the role, Pelphrey said: “When it comes to opportunities like [Professor X], I am always of two minds. I am always a little torn in half.
“That’s a very long, serious commitment, and that makes me genuinely nervous because a lot of things can change in that time.”
He continued: “So half of me thinks an experience like that could be cool and exciting, while the other half of me is a little worried about what could happen. But to be in the conversation for those kinds of roles, regardless of the specifics or how it plays out or why, it’s incredible.”
Describing his journey from an unknown actor to auditioning for one of Hollywood’s most coveted roles, Pelphrey said he can “see everything with a perspective” and feels “grateful” despite not landing the role.
He added: “If something doesn’t work out and it isn’t perfect for everyone involved, great, because it’s probably perfect for someone else. That just means there’s something more perfect coming for me.”
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Elsewhere in the interview, Pelphrey joked about not having to shave his head to play Professor X.
“I’ve also got a fat head. I have a watermelon,” he said. “I was like, ‘If we’re even going to have this conversation, go into your AI image generator and look at me with a shaved head. That alone could be horrifying enough.’
“I’m not kidding. The only hat I can wear is a fitted size eight. It is empirically a big fat head, and I don’t know if we want to see it shaved.”
X-Men is released in cinemas on 5 May 2028.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.