Does James Hetfield Enjoy Acting? The Rocker Responds, Details Filming Western ‘The Thicket’

Does James Hetfield enjoy acting? The rocker discussed his movie experiences in a new podcast episode and detailed the filming of the new western The Thicket.In a recent episode of the podcast The Metallica Report, Hetfield revealed that he was approached by actor Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), who stars in the film, for the role. Dinklage contacted the rocker through his management after he came to mind when they were putting ideas together for the cast.Hetfield agreed to take the part, though it seems he wouldn’t have lost any sleep if they had asked someone else instead.How Hetfield Feels About Acting”I’m not into acting at all,” Hetfield confessed. “I act enough on the stage, projecting. For us onstage, projecting big, it’s almost more like Broadway. When you’re in a movie, you do just a little thing, and that’s enough. I like big projecting.”The rocker said that he didn’t have to audition for the role, which is something he’s done before, but doesn’t interest him. He added that he was actually recruited for the 2019 Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile the same way — director Joe Berlinger simply approached him for the role of the highway patrolman, and he didn’t have to audition.The conditions during the filming of The Thicket were pretty undesirable too, according to the frontman. He recalled the temperature being in the negatives while they were shooting in the Calgary area of Canada — and there were days he had to spend on set without actually getting to film his parts.”I told Ray, ‘Hey, next time I’m asked to do something like this, remind me to say no,'” he said laughing. “But it was fun being out there and being in a western, getting to wear a hat, carry a gun and have a badge on… period-correct clothing, riding horses and all that shit. It’s in my DNA, I love it.”READ MORE: 10 Metal Bands Whose Third Album Is Their BestThe Thicket premiered in theaters on Sept. 6. Hetfield’s character’s name is Simon Deasy. Comic Book Resources’ review of the film states “as Deasy, Hetfield makes the most of his few scenes; he is perfectly understated in the role.”Listen to the full episode below.James Hetfield Details Filming The ThicketPeter Dinklage on Working With HetfieldDuring an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this month, Dinklage explained how the crew came up with the idea to cast Hetfield in The Thicket.”Somebody just said, ‘We should get somebody that looks like James Hetfield.’ And I said, ‘Or we just get James Hetfield,'” the actor said, adding that he initially contacted the musician through Lars Ulrich.Kimmel asked Dinklage if the rocker seemed nervous at all during the filming, to which he replied, “I think so, but nervous is what you want to be. I hope he’s still nervous when he goes onstage playing that incredible music because it gives you something to live for.”Peter Dinklage on Casting James Hetfield in The Thicket49 Actors You Might Not Remember Are MusiciansRock and roles.Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire