KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC: Russell Crowe has a condition if you’re going to ask him questions on ‘Gladiator 2.’ ‘A Beautiful Mind’ star told the press at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Czech Republic, that he had answered enough questions on the upcoming flick that he would like to be paid to answer. The star was there in the city to accept an award for his outstanding contribution to world cinema. “They should be f*****g paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in.”
The 59-year-old added, “It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life.” Crowe explained that he has no idea about the proposed movie, “I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. I am dead! But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular,” as per Variety.
'Academy Award winner who got f****d by a spider in the neck'
However, the controversial actor made some interesting comments and entertained the audience in attendance. “I am the only Academy Award winner who got f****d by a spider in the neck,” referring to a difficult encounter with an ‘aroused’ tarantula on the set of Clare People’s ‘Rough Magic.’ The actor was left with a painful rash and mixed feelings.
'We were now playing to what I call ‘the dumb kids’
Special screening of Peter Weir’s ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,’ was also done at the event as Crowe addressed the director’s intense attention to detail. “Peter slowed down the release. We finished production before ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ had started, but it got out before we did. Once people had a big laugh, it was difficult to get the general audience to take seriously whatever we were doing.”
Further explaining, “It was such an expensive exercise for the studio that they decided to sell it as ‘the Gladiator goes to sea.’ It means that everybody got disappointed. That put off Peter Weir’s audience and it meant we were now playing to what I call ‘the dumb kids’.”
