Kelly Jones was asked to audition for Ewan McGregor's role in Moulin Rouge

25 January 2023, 10:05

Kelly Jones of Stereophonics on his new side project

The Sterophonics frontman revealed he was once asked to try out for the role played by Ewan McGregor in the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film.

Kelly Jones was asked to audition for the part of Christian in Moulin Rouge.

The Stereophonics frontman is currently showing another side of his talents with new project Far From Saints and revealed he could have gone down another route earlier in his career.

Asked if he'd ever done a spot of acting, he told Radio X's Dan O'Connell: "No I’ve been asked a few times to do acting. I was asked to audition for Moulin Rouge back in the 90s."

Quizzed if he meant the 2001 film starring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman, he confirmed: “Yeah the Baz Luhrmann film. I didn’t go though.”

"I think it was the part of Ewan (McGregor)," he added. "That’s what I was led to believe at the time. I don’t know. I just remember my manager phoned me singing Hollywood down the phone, but I didn’t take any notice of it."

The Welsh rocker, who also revealed he was offered a job to become a scriptwriter the same time Stereophonics got their recording contract, added: "I mean, I didn’t even know what I was doing in the music industry at that point, let alone the film industry!"

Watch our interview with Kelly Jones above.

Catch up with the interview on Global Player.

READ MORE: Kelly Jones says Stereophonics aren't "breaking up" as he talks Far From Saints project

Far From Saints sees Kelly Jones join forces with Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker from The Wind and The Wave and so far they have released their Let's Turn Around single.

Taking about how the project was borne, the 48-year-old rocker revealed: "Well it began just before lockdown. I was doing a solo tour actually and I had some friends who were from Austin, Texas, a band called The Wind and The Wave.

"They toured with us back in 2013 during Graffiti on the train tour and I always loved Patty Lynne’s voice and as soon as they came over we started jamming a couple songs and we did that Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks cover on stage one night and they said, ‘We’ve got to do something together, you know', because I always loved the music, but I’ve never really collaborated or written with anybody before.”

He added: “So we started writing a few songs in the dressing rooms and in hotel rooms and stuff like that and before we knew it, we had a bunch of songs.

“It was great. I’ve always wanted to make a Nashville kind of album, really. It’s not just that, obviously, but that’s the quintessential route to the idea in my mind.”

Watch the official video for Let's Turn Around below:

Far From Saints - Let's Turn This Back Around (Official Video)

Asked if we can expect to see him with Far From Saints on tour, he teased they'll be supporting the likes of Paul Weller and playing at festivals this year.

“Yeah, we’re trying to piece together some shows with Weller actually," he told Dan O'Connell. He’s offered us a few shows in the summer. We’re going to be doing some shows when the album comes out in June, so around May, June, July.

"So yeah, we’re going to be doing some shows, festival shows, support slots, stuff like that. It’s basically starting again.”

However, Kelly assured fans it didn't mean the end for Stereophonics and they were merely on a "holiday."

"There’s no breaking up for the band or anything," he told Radio X's Dan O'Connell. "It’s like for me, after 25 years of doing it and all that work, I wanna show other sides of what I want to try creatively."

He explained: "We just left it playing The Principality Stadium, [scored a] number one record, lots of A-List singles on the radio. It’s a good place to just have a little holiday from it and try some other bits and pieces in between, but there’s no fear that we’re not going to come back and do what we do…”

He added: “I’ve got a bunch of songs I’ve got for that and I’m keeping them in the back pocket until we’re ready to do it again.”

Catch up with the interview on Global Player.