Joel Edgerton once cheated death after encountering a “scary” surf.
The Australian actor is known for his physical roles, such as MMA fighter Brendan Conlon in 2011's Warrior and knight Gawain in King Arthur. But in real life Joel isn’t as confident when faced with dangerous circumstances, as he recalled during an interview with esquire.co.uk.
“I had a scary time surfing in Sydney. The surf was big and while I surfed (I'm far from a pro...) it got a little out of control,” he explained when asked if he had ever come close to death. “I'm not sure how close I was to actually giving up and going under but I remember having the clear thought that I was done… and that thought was not good.”
It seems over the years the 40-year-old has become more health conscious too as he admitted he’d tell his 20-year-old self that “smoking is for idiots”.
He can next be seen on the big screen in Ridley Scott’s big budget flick Exodus: Gods and Kings. He stars as evil pharaoh Ramses II alongside the likes of Christian Bale and Sigourney Weaver.
“I find doing all movies can be strange, pretending to be a part of a world so far removed from my own experience,” Joel explained. “But on one hand I could view the whole thing as a massive fable and I just rolled with it and enjoyed it.”
The star recently recalled his first trip to Los Angeles, when he spotted late actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor dining with screen icon James Earl Jones. It was a scene which gave him an insight into the industry.
“My theory about actors is that we’re all desperately insecure and we lacked love in our childhoods and so now we’ve got a job where we’re seeking the attention of a lot of people. But if someone said, ‘In that room over there are 500 of your most avid fans and they can’t wait to see you,' we’d be like...” he said, recoiling like a vampire from daylight. “There’s an insecurity that’s so deep and that’s why I think all actors just bounce around bumping into each other.”
