Machine Gun Kelly has revealed he declined an audition for the 2025 thriller Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, because the script required him to say a racial slur. The 35-year-old musician, real name Colson Baker, made the disclosure during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday.
Kelly explained that he was being considered for the role of Bert, a character who becomes a vampire after being bitten by Remmick, played by Jack O'Connell. However, he took issue with a line in the audition scene. “In the audition, he has to say the 'n-word' and I wouldn’t do it,” Kelly said. The part ultimately went to Peter Dreimanis.
The singer, who began acting in 2014 with a role in Beyond the Lights, expressed a continued interest in film. “I had a lot of aspirations to be in movies, but it just hasn’t panned out that way,” he said. “I’m on universal time, though, so we’ll see.” He added that he hopes to land another role “while I still look young.”
Kelly has previously stated he prefers to use his birth name, Colson Baker, for acting projects, as he did in the Western The Last Sun. He told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that separating his music persona from his film work is a matter of “respect for the art.”
