Unforgettable Christophe Lambert in ‘Greystoke’—But Which Famous Actor Almost Snagged the Role?

For 45 years, Christophe Lambert has been a familiar presence in cinema. His career has been a rollercoaster, filled with both memorable and questionable artistic choices. While he starred in acclaimed films like the masterpiece “Greystoke” and the cult favorite “Highlander,” and even enjoyed playing the delightful Lord Raiden in the “Mortal Kombat” movie adaptation, not all his projects have been successful.

For instance, “Highlander II” was a disaster that left everyone, including Lambert himself, wondering what he was doing there. And then there was the artistic and financial flop “Vercingétorix” directed by Jacques Dorfmann in 2001, which not only ruined the director’s career but also significantly damaged Lambert’s.

Nevertheless, the actor embraces his entire body of work, as he discussed in a detailed interview with Fabrice Du Welz in June last year, featured on the show Home Cinema on Be. TV. He talked about his iconic roles in films like “Greystoke,” “Subway,” and “Highlander,” highlighting the unique path he has taken between French and American cinema.

“Hugh Hudson Fought Hard for Me”

“Greystoke,” directed by Hugh Hudson, remains Lambert’s most famous film. When it was released in 1984, Lambert was relatively unknown to the mainstream audience. It was the first time he was given such a significant role and placed as the lead actor.

“That film was the best acting school you could imagine. It was like entering into a war machine, with a director who had won four Oscars. When he chose me, Hugh asked if I was happy. I told him I was scared. It was so much my life. It was meant for me,” Lambert shared during his appearance at the Lumière festival in 2018, where the film was screened.

In the Home Cinema show, the actor revealed that he was Warner Bros.’s last choice for “Greystoke.” The studio initially preferred none other than… Viggo Mortensen!

“Did you ever cross paths? Have you talked about it?” asked Fabrice Du Welz. “I didn’t even know Viggo Mortensen,” replied Lambert. “My ex-wife worked with him, they painted together. I first heard of him around the time of ‘The Lord of the Rings’! Before that, I had no idea who he was.”

Lambert recounted once more how he ended up embodying the character in this fabulous film that still holds up, 41 years after its release. “Hugh Hudson really fought for me. But before that, they put me in a room with 300 people to do leaps. After two minutes, I thought that was enough. I weighed 58 kg and was 1.80m tall. The casting director noticed I was the only one sitting down. She turned to Hudson and said: ‘you have to test this guy.’ He looked at her as if she was crazy because I was skinny as a matchstick. She told him: ‘trust me’.”