The 2000s saw Russell Crowe rising to stardom status, thanks to his iconic portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. But apart from Scott’s acclaimed action-adventure, Crowe came close to landing a major gig in another classic from the 2000s, The Lord of the Rings.
Before Viggo Mortensen was cast as Aragorn in one of the great trilogies in cinema history, Crowe was initially approached for the role, which he ended up rejecting. In hindsight, things couldn’t have gone more well, as Mortensen’s commitment to the gig was second to none.
Russell Crowe Felt the Offer Was Studio-Influenced
Explaining his reasoning behind refusing to star in The Lord of the Rings, Russell Crowe shared he felt that it wasn’t Peter Jackson who wanted him as Aragorn but the studios. Being from New Zealand, Crowe elaborated “there’s a nuance in that conversation that other people might not hear”, and eventually came to the conclusion that Jackson had another actor in mind for the role.
He said:
I very much felt the studio were making that decision, not the film director. And I talked to Peter Jackson over the phone, and he wasn’t saying the sort of things that directors were saying to you if they were really trying to attract you to a project. And I just kind of got a sense that he already had somebody else in mind that he wanted to do. And me stepping forward and saying yes was actually going to get in his way.
Although it’s safe to assume The Nice Guys star would’ve made for a great Aragorn, fans can’t imagine anyone other than Mortensen in the role, following his extreme devotion.
Viggo Mortensen’s Commitment to Aragorn Was Second to None
Apart from excelling as Aragorn in the acting department, Viggo Mortensen also didn’t back away from pushing his body to the test. Following the grand scope of the trilogy, which was shot in New Zealand, the cast and crew were no strangers to mishaps, especially Mortensen. Even though the Falling Star’s story of breaking his toe while kicking an Orc helmet on set has become a major meme at this point, this isn’t the lone instance of the actor’s undying commitment to Aragorn.
Despite losing a tooth during the filming of the Battle of Helm’s Deep, the actor continued to keep going and it wasn’t until he was no longer needed on set that the actor was finally taken to a dentist. On top of sustaining major injuries and still going on with the shoot, he also deflected a real dagger while using a steel sword in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Following the numerous stories of the actor’s unmatched commitment to the gig, which ended up contributing to making LOTR iconic, it’s easy to see why fans are glad Crowe let the role slide.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max.
