He could have been so famous, but he literally just walked away

'Stargate' (1994) is a cult film that inspired series and video games. One of its main characters did not want to be part of that, though. Remember him?

A combination of interstellar travel, Egyptian culture and extraterrestrials, the film was a critical and public success. It grossed almost $200 million while having a budget of merely $55 million.

Photo: Still from 'Stargate' / Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Among its stars were a very young James Spader (image), an experienced Kurt Russell, and Jaye Davidson. The latter's experience in this film was so bad that he ended up quitting acting. But not just that: he left all with a farewell to remember.

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So, what happened? The actor was 26 years old, had just been nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor a year earlier with 'The Crying Game', and was one of the most promising talents in Hollywood.

His unique look, undeniable talent, and the role as the God Ra in 'Stargate' seemed perfect to make him the star he was destined to be with this blockbuster.

It all backfired because of a small detail: Jaye Davidson didn't want to be famous. In addition, the first draft of the script was horrible, as James Spader and Kurt Russell confirmed at the time.

Jaye Davidson knew that if he accepted the role and the film did well, he would be known around the world. Therefore, he opted for the old strategy of asking an exorbitant amount of money for his role: one million dollars.

To his surprise, producers accepted the challenge and the actor was forced to dress up as an alien Egyptian god to the delight of his ever-growing legion of fans.

Although Ra's presence in the film is minimal, the impact of his character, power, and influence is not. In fact, they make him one of the three main characters along with Colonel O'Neill (Kurt Russell) and Daniel Jackson (James Spader).

Photo: Still from 'Stargate' / Lionsgate Home Entertainment

The shoot was a real ordeal for Jaye Davidson. He didn't like the script, nor the costumes, nor the path his acting career was taking. On top of all this, Jaye Davidson was extremely dissatisfied with his own role as Ra.

He had gone from being nominated for an Oscar for an acclaimed, independent film to a role in a blockbuster that was going to make him the star he didn't want to be.

And so the weeks of filming went by until the last day and the last scene arrived. That day was so liberating and cathartic for Jaye Davidson that it led to one of the best Hollywood exits in history.

As soon as he heard the word 'aaaaand... cut!', the actor stripped completely bare on set, went to his trailer and decided to quit acting for good.

He would only appeared in the TV film 'Jiggery Pokery' and the documentary 'Catwalk', which he already signed, in 1996. In addition, he had a small role in the short film 'The Borghilde Project' in 2009, and that was all in 30 years.

Since then, Jaye Davidson has focused on his modelling career. He married Thomas Clarke in 2017 and has taken up residence in Paris, France, with literally an ocean between his home and Hollywood.

And that's how we lost a star who could have become as great as Leonardo Di Caprio or Ryan Gosling. At age 25, he left behind his dreams and career. Hollywood fame is just not for everyone.

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