Starting his acting career with Australian TV shows, Russell Crowe sailed prominently through the sea of talent in Hollywood and went on to leave an undeniable mark on cinema. The Oscar-winning actor made his resounding screen persona felt with 2000’s Gladiator even as movies like Romper Stomper and The Sum of Us had already put him in the spotlight.
Boasting international acclaim and easily being one of the most recognized faces globally, he still has a long way to go before settling down anytime soon.
In a testament to his versatility and knack for living all his passions to the fullest, Crowe has also not shied behind when it came to music. Demonstrating his singing abilities in several of his outings, he, however, missed out on a chance to make that part of his career enjoy a broader limelight in his portfolio. Sharing one of his regrets, the actor reasoned why he let go of that one role that he felt was specifically meant for him.
Russell Crowe turned down a film with a “cheating aspect”
In his decades-long stint as an Academy Award-winning actor, Russell Crowe has portrayed John Nash and Jeffrey Wigand in their respective biopics of A Beautiful Mind and The Insider. Thus, his familiarity with the genre is to never be doubted.
However, in talks with British G2 (via Independent), the 60-year-old opened up on letting go of a biopic that would have had him play his favorite musician.
There was an experience that I was offered – I now know the director, and I know that him and I working together, surrounded by music, would’ve been a fantastic experience. It was a biopic of a musician that I love.
In his principles, the role would have entitled him to portray a career-high in music that he had yet to achieve. While the Man of Steel star did not disclose the name of the musician or the movie, one thing that is out in the open is his own musical aspirations that stem from as back as the 1980s, with the band, Roman Antix.
I kind of felt there was a cheating aspect to it, you know. It would put me in a position from a music career perspective that I wouldn’t have earned.
As of now, the actor is performing with the Indoor Garden Party band. In addition to this, Crowe has also starred in the 30 Odd Foot of Grunts as well as with The Ordinary Fear of God, and finally, has also produced several originals for his flick, Les Misérables.
Crowe clears his stance on Gladiator II
Commanding the screens as the Roman general, Maximus Decimus Meridius, a celebrated outing of Russell Crowe in Gladiator, won him the Best Actor Oscar. Additionally, it also sealed him as one of the most renowned actors for the foreseeable future with a commitment that saw him fall off horses and crack his hip to serve the purpose of completing his own stunts. Now, decades later, as a reboot of sorts is in the works, the original actor has denied his return.
In the April 1 episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, the actor confirmed that neither has he held any talks with the director of Gladiator II, Ridley Scott nor has he any intentions of returning, with a firm “Maximus has departed the world”. Furthermore, he also quipped that he would be “6ft underground,” in response to the new crew shooting for the flick in the Colosseum.
