Charlie Hunnam quit 'Fifty Shades of Grey' due to anxiety

Los Angeles: Actor Charlie Hunnam has cited anxiety issues as the reason behind him quitting 'Fifty Shades of Grey'.

The 34-year-old 'Sons of Anarchy' star was once attached to play Christian Grey in the highly-anticipated film adaptation of EL James' erotic novel but he disappointed many fans when he quit due to scheduling conflicts.

"I wouldn't have signed up in the first place if I didn't want to do it. It was a really, really difficult time in my life," Hunnam said.

He actually had a pleasant meeting with director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

"Sam and I just fell in love, creatively. We started talking about this thing and I just felt so excited. I fell in love with the character and started seeing him and becoming intoxicated, which is the way I work: I find a character I love and I start thinking about it all the time," he said.