ABC News November 11, 2014

Charlie Hunnam Explains Why He Quit '50 Shades of Grey'

Ture Lillegraven for Men's Health
Actor Charlie Hunnam is featured in the cover story for Men's Health magazine in December, 2014.

Charlie Hunnam shocked "50 Shades of Grey" fans by pulling out of the project just weeks after he was cast as Christian Grey.

However, the "Sons of Anarchy" actor did it not only in his own best interests, but also because he was thinking about what was best for the project, he told Men's Health magazine.

"I was going to finish playing a psychopath who’d just lost his wife [in "Sons of Anarchy"], and five days later I’d be on set playing Christian Grey,” he said. "I was like, 'This is going to be a ... disaster.' It was the opposite of how I’ve tried to ground my career, not stretch myself too thin, and always do my homework."

'Fifty Shades' Movie Casts Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey, Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Charlie Hunnam Drops out of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Movie Who Will Replace Charlie Hunnam in 'Fifty Shades of Grey'?

Hunnam, 34, said that he understands that this isn't necessarily the norm in Hollywood. However, to him, it was of utmost importance.

"There’s a tendency in this Hollywood machinery to take on too much," he said. "You end up not being able to give everything you want."