Critics call Conor McGregor 'his generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger' as UFC star wins rave reviews for his acting debut in new Road House movie remake alongside Jake Gyllenhaal - but he admits he's 'unlikely' to ever to act again because it was 'hard work'

Conor McGregor has admitted that he's 'unlikely to act again' despite winning top reviews for his role in new action movie Road House alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

The UFC star, who has not fought since July 2021, made his debut acting performance alongside the Hollywood superstar in a remake of the late Patrick Swayze's 1989 film. 

He was hired to play muscle 'Knox' who collides with Gyllenhaal's protagonist, UFC fighter-turned-security 'Elwood Dalton'. The new Dalton is a ripped fighter who becomes a bouncer for a dingy bar in the Florida Keys.

McGregor appeared with his co-star at the debut screening of the Amazon Prime film at the Curzon in Mayfair, London on Thursday.

He said he felt his co-star Gyllenhaal and the director Doug Liman were both 'amazing'.

Conor McGregor, 35, posed with his co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, 43, at the star-studded screening of Road House at the Curzon in Mayfair, London on Thursday

McGregor (pictured left) was hired to play muscle 'Knox' who collides with Gyllenhaal's protagonist, UFC fighter-turned-security 'Elwood Dalton'

Here Jake is seen face to face with Conor, a massive UFC champion, in the dive bar

The UFC star said the filming process made him appreciate that his fellow cast members. Pictured: Conor as Knox in Road House. 

He added: 'Director Doug, he gave me a confidence, made me feel I was better than I probably was, I just enjoyed the whole process.'

The UFC star said the process made him appreciate that his fellow cast members were 'really good actors'.

Asked if this was going to be the start of his acting career, McGregor revealed he plans to 'get back into fighting shape' so he can compete as a UFC fighter again.

He admitted that his filming schedule for Road House was gruelling and went on: 'It was hard work, and I'm used to hard work, but the schedule was intense.

'I'm not sure if I will go through it again, but it's in the bank, it's in the history books. Money can come and go, but this film will be there forever.'

Many film critics have praised the UFC star for his debut acting appearance, with some saying he could be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Indie Wire's film critic Christian Zilko said: 'McGregor steals every scene he's in.

'It's unclear how much of what he does is actually acting, as he simply plays a rowdy and charismatic Irishman who likes to hit people and show off his ridiculous tattoos.

Lukas Gage, Conor McGregor, Daniela Melchoir, Jake Gyllenhaal and Billy Magnussen attend the London photo call for Prime Video's 'Road House' earlier this week

Conor McGregor (pictured) is in the new Road House film, where he stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal

Road House had an impressive score of 76 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes (Pictured: Conor McGregor leaving the debut screening at Curzon in Mayfair) 

McGregor has said that he wants to return to UFC fighting (pictured at the 2023 NBA Finals at Miami) 

'But his first acting role could establish him as his generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger.'

IGN, a US entertainment site, said of McGregor's performance: 'McGregor steals the show by playing someone so deranged he trades his Ferrari for a driving-school car because he feels like it, then stops the vehicle by ramming into a tree just for the hell of it.'

Variety film critic Owen Gleiberman said the UFC star's performance was 'stunning' and added: 'Bearded and barrel-chested, with gleaming white teeth, he makes Knox move like a gorilla on pep pills, and the exuberance of his homicidal fury could be out of a 'Mad Max' film.'

Writing for Empire, Boyd Hilton said: 'It's a daring and controversial bit of stunt casting, but after making quite an entrance, McGregor maintains an impressive level of hyper-intensity throughout.'  

Meanwhile, Road House had an impressive score of 76 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes from 25 reviews.

Despite the rave reviews, McGregor also revealed that he was nervous about his family seeing his performance – especially his kids.

He said: 'Obviously, they can't watch and never will, to be honest! They're going to have another cinema room boxed off and they'll get one of the kids movies on. I'm excited.'

McGregor has been away from the Octagon ever since he broke his lower leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021

McGregor has not fought in the UFC since losing his trilogy bout against Poirier in 2021

He also stressed: 'I'm nervous about my mother seeing it.'

Turning his attention to his UFC comeback, the former dual-weight champion said: 'We're still in the first quarter of this year, talks are ongoing. It's a little bit of a lack of transparency. I've got two fights left on my contract. I don't think either of us knows what their move will be.

'I just wish to get a bit more consistency with my training. Am I flat out right now? No, I'm not flat out right now, but I have been.

'I was scheduling for early this year, I was scheduling for January, I was scheduling for December even before that. I had camps set up. I had a camp out in Cannes in the south of France, I had a camp in Dubai also, with some world champions with me.'

'I put in a solid camp, and I was well ready. Then you get a lack of transparency, it's like you kind of get left on 'seen'. Then I just start losing interest myself, and getting caught up with other things going on – like this as such.

'I just hope to get this done. The movie's out in [about] 10 more days. Once that's out, my work is finished. Then I've got Paddy's [St Patrick's Day] festivities with the Forged Irish Stout and Proper Twelve [McGregor's business ventures] that I've got to handle. Once that's done, I'm boxed away.

'I'm still in shape, I still train. Like I said, I've had camps in the off. So, if they just give me a date, I'll hopefully go with 29 June, and that would be an aim for me. 

'It's a good three-and-a-half months [...] with the condition I'm in now.'

Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal has said he had tattoos created for his character in 'honour' of the late Patrick Swayze when creating a remake of his action thriller.

Dirty Dancing star Swayze played James Dalton, a New York City bouncer hired to protect a bar in Jasper, Missouri, in the original 1989 film.

Jake Gyllenhaal bared his sculpted torso in a smoldering new poster for the upcoming remake of the 1980s classic Road House

The original movie starred Patrick Swayze as New York City bar bouncer James Dalton, who winds up working at a small-town nightclub in Missouri

The pair worked together in the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko, in which Gyllenhaal stars as a sleepwalking teenager and Swayze plays a motivational speaker.

Speaking at a special screening of the new Road House in London, Gyllenhaal said: 'Patrick and I met when I made this film Donnie Darko very early in my career and he was always so generous and he was lovely to me and supportive throughout my career.

'And so, when it came time to try this on, I thought about him a lot and I tried to honour him in different ways.

'I have some tattoos in my character that we designed in honour of him, just to carry him with me while I did it. And I'm just a huge Patrick Swayze fan.'

Swayze died from pancreatic cancer in 2009 aged 57.

Reflecting on how he approached creating his character, Gyllenhaal added: 'A big part of it is a sense of humour.

'I think the whole movie is this wonderful, fun, thrilling, but sometimes absurd, ride and we always keep an eye on that throughout it and that's what makes Doug Liman such a great filmmaker.

'He's always threading that needle and that's why the movie is so special.'

Road House is out on March 21 on Amazon Prime.