‘I didn’t look like any Roman general!’ Russell Crowe reveals he almost turned down his Oscar-winning role in Gladiator because he’d gained too much weight and shaved his head
Russell Crowe revealed this week that he almost turned down a role that later won him an Oscar.
In an interview with Variety on Sunday, the actor admitted he was at first hesitant about taking on the part of Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 film Gladiator.
The 56-year-old had at the time gained 23kg to play Jeffery Wigand in the 1999 drama The Insider, and had shaved his head to make wigs fit better on set, and didn’t think he looked right to play a Gladiator.
Reserved: Russell Crowe (pictured) revealed in an interview with Variety on Sunday that he was hesitant about taking on the part of Roman general Maximus in the 2000 film Gladiator
Russell told the magazine: ‘I was just coming off the shoot of The Insider. I was gigantic.
‘I had no hair because I had been wearing a wig on that movie, so I had shaved my head to make it more comfortable and the wigs go on quicker. I didn’t look like any Roman general.’
However, the actor was tempted because of the involvement of director Ridley Scott.
Very different! The 56-year-old had at the time gained 23kg to play Jeffery Wigand in the 1999 drama The Insider (pictured) and had shaved his head to make wigs fit better on set
Russell said: ‘I was just coming off The Insider. I was gigantic. I had no hair because I had been wearing a wig on that movie, so I had shaved my head to make it more comfortable and the wigs go on quicker’. Pictured in The Insider with Al Pacino
Russ admitted: ‘I didn’t look like any Roman general!’ He was also not impressed by the script at first, admitting, ‘I’d read the script and I thought it wasn’t a movie.’ Pictured in Gladiator
Russell was not impressed at first, admitting, ‘I’d read the script and I thought it wasn’t a movie.
‘But then [producer Walter Parkes] said, ‘…you’re going to be directed by Ridley Scott.’ And that was enough for me to want to talk to Ridley,’ he added.
The actor went onto win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his lead role in Gladiator, a film which propelled him to superstardom.
Good choice! However, the actor was tempted because of the involvement of director Ridley Scott. ‘That was enough for me to want to talk to Ridley,’ he said
Good choice! The actor went onto win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his lead role in Gladiator, a film which propelled him to superstardom
Last month, Russell, who was born in New Zealand but spent much of his life in Australia, honoured both his home countries by sharing a very patriotic Instagram post on his 56th birthday.
The star uploaded a photo of himself wearing the Australian flag as a mask over his mouth, and the New Zealand flag wrapped around his forehead.
‘Fashion tips for shoppers. #anzacproud,’ he wrote in the caption.
Happy to belong: Last month, Russell, who was born in New Zealand but spent much of his life in Australia, honoured both his home countries by sharing this very patriotic Instagram post on his 56th birthday