Written By: Nick Poulimenakos

If you’re like me, then you might have experienced some sense of shock by reading the title. With Disney now firmly in control of Star Wars, there has been a massive resurgence for the brand thanks to a new slate of films being released and in production. While it may seem like a dream to star in film set in a galaxy far far away, one actor almost turned down a role in 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Domhnall Gleeson, who plays the villainous General Hux, recently sat down with RadioTimes to discuss his upcoming films American Made and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. During the interview, he revealed that he actually almost past on the role:

“Why would I have thought of saying no? Fame is the end goal for a lot of people but it is not mine. I worried that the accompanying fame would get in the way of how I live my life. It got a little crazy for a couple of months — for a while, going out and having a drink with my friends was difficult, and then it died down.”

Now, this is absolutely a fair statement to make. When you star in a Star Wars film, you are starring in arguably the biggest film franchise ever created. The brand is so massive and beloved that it can vastly change the lifestyle of its actors and actresses. This is evident with new stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Oscar Issac skyrocketing in popularity and are now getting more and more film roles.

While Gleeson is no stranger to gigantic franchises (he played Ron Weasley’s brother Bill in the Harry Potter series), it seems like his life has regained some kind of normalcy. Gleeson has since starred in smaller films like Ex-Machina and American Made but is grateful that he took on the role of the tyrannical First Order General.

Catch Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux in Star Wars: The Last Jedi which flies into theatres on December 15, 2017.