Russell Crowe's hair wouldn't stay down during his iconic Gladiator speech scene
Russell Crowe has shared a secret from his Oscar-winning turn in Ridley Scott's historical epic Gladiator.
Released in 2000, the movie follows Crowe's Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius as he seeks revenge against Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus for... well, you know the rest by now.
In the new edition of Empire Magazine, the star revealed that his character's iconic speech ("I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next!") was actually plagued by a strange issue during the shoot.
Related: There's a Gladiator spin-off on the way, seemingly without Russell Crowe
"That helmet was full of static electricity and every time I took it off the hairs on the top of my head stood up," he laughed.
"I tried doing it slowly, I tried doing it fast, but every time two hairs stand up like I'm a f**king Teletubby.
"So, [director Ridley Scott] solves it by going into a massive close-up, when I turn to face Commodus – it's just forehead and chin and out of frame you can't see the Teletubby hair wiggling in the wind," continued Crowe.
Related: Why Ben Affleck is "nervous" about new Ridley Scott movie with Matt Damon
The actor went on to admit that "every single moment of that film, man, was like that – it was on the day, solving problems, constantly asking questions and finding answers".
Luckily, the cast and crew's problem-solving proved pretty damn successful – Gladiator has since gone down as a modern classic.
Digital Spy now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Looking for more TV recommendations and discussion? Head over to our Facebook Group to see new picks every day, and chat with other readers about what they're watching right now.
You Might Also Like