Machine Gun Kelly revealed that he turned down an audition for Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners after learning the role required him to say the n-word.
The rapper and actor, born Colson Baker, shared the story during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show this week. While discussing his ambitions in film, Kelly explained why he chose not to audition for the project, despite early interest from the production team.
“I was supposed to be in that,” he said. “They had me set up to do the audition. It was for the vampire who comes in and eats the family. In the audition, he has to say the n-word, and I wouldn’t do it.”
The comment earned him a fist bump from co-host Darius Butler, who praised the artist for his stance. Kelly said the part in question was “the second vampire,” believed to be the character Bert—a white supremacist turned vampire by Remmick, played by Jack O’Connell.
That role eventually went to Canadian actor Peter Dreimanis. Sinners also stars Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, and Miles Caton.
MGK & Sinners
While Kelly’s decision took him out of the running, he made it clear that acting remains a serious pursuit. “I have a lot of aspirations to be in movies,” he said. “It just hasn’t panned out that way.” He continued, “I’m on universal timing… The angels will put something in the works.”
Kelly has previously appeared in films such as The Dirt, Big Time Adolescence, and Taurus. Despite several near-misses, he remains committed to finding the right roles. “There’s been plenty of movies that come out that I was like, ah, I was supposed to be in that,” he said.
He emphasized that he won’t compromise personal values for screen time. “I’d like to be in cinema while I still look young,” he said, smiling.
In the meantime, Kelly is focused on music. His upcoming album Americana is set to arrive August 8. The project marks a return to rock after his multi-platinum pop-punk releases Tickets to My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout. With Americana, Kelly blends country, rock, and trap influences into a new era of genre-fluid experimentation.
As his film career continues to take shape, Kelly says he’s ready—but only on his terms.
