Don’t make Russell Crowe angry. You won’t like him when he’s angry. That’s what a Mark Lawson from BBC Radio 4′s Front Row discovered during an interview with the actor, who was promoting the upcoming Robin Hood. While discussing Crowe’s accent in the film, Lawson suggested, “There are hints, to me, of Irish.” Crowe’s response: “You’ve got dead ears, mate. You’ve seriously got dead ears if you think that’s an Irish accent…Bullocks…I’m just a little dumbfounded that you could possibly find any Irish in that character. That’s kind of ridiculous. But then it’s your show…” (Listen to the interview below.)
When Lawson continued to push the point, saying, “You were going for Northern English,” Crowe responded, “No, I was going for Italian. Missed it? [Expletive],” and then walked out of the interview after a question about Gladiator.
Here’s hoping Front Row is a telephone-free set.
WHAT A PRETENTIOUS D-BAG!
Ditto.
Russell Crowe flies first class on Diva airlines those days. I saw him at the Cannes festival, he was so rude to the press on the red carpet. Does he think he is Mickey Rourke or something? Fake Irish, True douchelord. (rolling my eyes)
he’s pretentious cuz some hack is giving a hard time about the sound of his voice and as usual with wads like the hack trying make a point out of nothing …
Makin’ movies, makin’ songs,
He’s fightin’ round the world.
Ha ha – that’s what my daughter sings every time someone mentions Russell Crowe!!!
And THAT ladies and gentlemen is why I won’t be going to see Robin Hood. Russell Crowe is an arrogant son of a biscuit and I just cannot separate his public persona from his acting. Shame too because I love the stories of Robin Hood.
Why do journalists ask such stupid questions in the first place? I’m not condoning Crowe’s behavior but what does that line of questioning have to do with the movie?…the man is an aussie by way of New Zealand….and in all the promo’s he sounds as such….I think the journalist was either scared shitless or was trying to provoke Crowe…just my opinion
The question was because the film is supposed to combine received wisdom about Robin Hood with historical fact. Given how distinctive accents are in the British Isles, Lawson is probably and reasonably assuming that a hint of Irish in the accent was meant to convey something about Robin Hood’s roots, rather than just being a dodgy unspecific British accent.
Yeah Russell is a bit of a douche, but I can’t really blame him for walking out on that. Especially after the guy continued to press the point.
That’s just bad interviewing.
It’s British style. Russell should have expected it. The Brits are far more pushy in comparison to American interviewer twats (Billy Busch anyone?)
Actually, it was Crowe — not the interviewer — who went back to the whole accent thing. So they guy tried to continue in that vein.
I don’t really have too much of a problem with Crowe … but geez, man, stop taking yourself so damn seriously. You made Robin Hood, not Citizen Kane.
I know, it’s just Gladiator-in-England, and not the first time we’ve ever seen or heard the tale before. Plus it’s made up anyway.
Sometimes interviewers can be really ignant.
Why is someway saying that he is speaking with a ‘bit’ of an Irish accent is that much of an insult that he would walk out? Seems a bit of an over dramatic response unless something is missing from this story.
“someone”
I think because Robin hood was English not Irish so he was implying that Russell botched the accent.
…which we all know is absolutely impossible.
That’s certainly the way Crowe seemed to take it, but I don’t think that was the intention behind the question. I think he wanted a genuine discussion about how Crowe understood Robin Hood’s life story.
I saw Russell Crowe on some talk show and he has been working on a number of different accents. As someone of Irish family, his accent as demonstrated on the show for Robin Hood was not Irish at all. I found him a great guest and very entertaining. Imagine that you were being interviewed and someone started subtly attacking your work or job, whatever it is. Would you not be angry?
Are you not entertained?
Bravo.
British accents are just as different and regional as US accents. Its like telling someone from Boston that they sounded like they were from Texas, or vice-versa.
Except for the part where Ireland is not in Britain.
(Northern Ireland is part of the UK, so not in Britain.)
Why should Russell have to sit there and listen to some d-bag who doesn’t care about Robin Hood anyways? Russell you should have punched the d-bag before you left!!!
I don’t like Crowe at all, but he did not storm out. He left, was clearly perturbed at the interview, but he just left. Waved goodybye, even. Give him a break.
You’re right…simply walking out of the interview is actually progress.
If this were 2005 Russell Crowe, he might’ve thrown a Blackberry at him.
Everytime I see previews for this movie, I say to myself, “That was a great movie when it was called Gladiator!”!
Early test screenings had viewers saying this was the old Gladiator script rewritten for English middle ages. They did go back and reshoot part of the film after original tests screenings.
His acting is okay, his public persona is terrible and the movie looks “gritty”–who wants a gritty Robin Hood? I’m gonna pass.
I don’t think Crowe is pretentious like most actors, I think he’s just a little too normal and hates dealing with the business that comes with being a famous actor. Crowe has never given a bad performance, maybe been in a few bad movies recently but they weren’t bad because of him. I’m not sure what to think of Robin Hood yet but I do know Gladiator was overrated.
Ahh, the interviewer was taking the piss and he wasn’t interested. Don’t blame him for leaving.
Okay, people need to stop saying things about Mark Lawson when they have no idea who he is and don’t know the context of the programme in which he presents. Lawson presents the Film Programme on BBC Radio 4, which is a discussion and review show about cinema. They will ask searching questions of the people they interview because they hold film to a high standard and work on the assumption that anything you see in a film is an artistic decision rather than just a bad job. He asked about the accent because he thought that the hint of Irish that he “detected” (he did not outright say that it was an Irish accent – he left a path for Crowe to disagree) might be conveying something about Robin Hood’s past. Turns out it wasn’t. There was no rudeness and clearly he was genuinely curious about Crowe’s response.
Yeah okay I’m an idiot. This wasn’t on the Film Programme, it was on Front Row. Similar show, though.
Yeah, I did not get the feeling that this was a gotcha interview. I’m guessing Crowe thought it was going to be some ET/Extra schmoozefest and he got a Charlie Rose style interview instead. The guy asked him about his accent in a way that sounded probing but not critical and he couldn’t handle it. I want to like him as much as I did in his L.A. CONFIDENTIAL/THE INSIDER days, but he’s seriously making it hard for me to remain a fan. Why do talented people feel entitled to be difficult for the sake of being difficult?
Russell Crowe is a jerk! Although I did like Gladiator, I would not watch any other movie with him in it, even on TV, let alone actually paying to see it, because he (like Mel Gibson) is a jerk.
A list actors (of which Crowe seems to be included) have no room to complain about how “lame” an interview may or may not be. They have no room to complain about criticism. PUT UP WITH IT! They are paid MILLIONS to put up with it. Tough job ain’t it? NO sympathy! NOBODY digs a ditch deep enough to warrant the salaries these guys are paid!
I am sure the ‘sounds Irish’ was meant to be insult, since the English think they are “God’s gift”.
Thanks for July 4th 1776!
OTOH, Crowe is too too old to be ‘young Robin Hood’. And trying to relive his ‘Gladiator’ glory days. I hope movie tanks.
wait, what?
as far as i am aware, the english are famed for their self-deprecating humour, not their superiority complexes…
the interviewer was clearly hoping that russell would extrapolate on his choice in the accent department