Dominic West: It 'hurts' when I'm cast in older roles

20 July 2017

Dominic West says it "hurts" when he's cast as older characters rather than the leading man.

Dominic West

The 47-year-old actor portrays Lara Croft's father Lord Richard Croft in the forthcoming reboot of 'Tomb Raider' and has admitted he was slightly taken back when he found out that bosses were planning on giving him such an older part and making Alicia Vikander, 28, the main star.

Asked if it hurts when he doesn't play the lead in a big blockbuster, Dominic told the new issue of ES Magazine: "It does and anyone who says it doesn't is lying."

Although he wasn't impressed with his part at first, Dominic is pleased with the way the director Roar Uthaug has "modernised" the film.

However, he thinks there will be some fans left diassapointed by the movie, because Alicia doesn't have "pumped-up breasts" like they might expect.

He explained: "They have definitely modernised it - Alicia doesn't have ludicrously pumped-up breasts. It's not so chauvinistic, which may come as a disappointment to some... before she becomes the 'Tomb Raider' as we all know her.

"She's a bike courier with Bruce Wayne tendencies. It's the origin story. I have to say when I found this out I said, 'Well, maybe she gets a big pair of boobs from her dad on her 21st birthday?'"

The film - which is based on the popular video game series created by British company Core Design in 1996 - will focus on daredevil archaeologist Lara as she sets out on her first ever expedition to finish her father's research and search for ancient relics she needs to find to clear his name.

Alicia has previously admitted she is very "excited" to star in the film, which is to be based on the latest two video games in the series - the most recent being 2015's 'Rise of the Tomb Raider - which have focused on Lara at the start of her adventures.

She said: "I mean, for me, I'm so excited to do it. She was such an icon, I played the game when I was a kid, but they rebooted the game a few years ago so it is now becoming more of an origins story. So it's quite different."