Russell Crowe recalled breaking both of his legs while filming a scene for his 2010 movie “Robin Hood.”
During a recent interview with People magazine, the 59-year-old actor revealed that he was unaware he had fractured his legs until a decade after what he initially thought was a “small mishap” on the set of the action film.
“I jumped off a castle portcullis onto rock-hard uneven ground,” Crowe told the outlet. “We should have prepped the ground and buried a pad, but we were in a rush to get the shot done in the fading light.”
The Academy Award winner remembered becoming concerned about the setup of the stunt moments ahead of jumping.
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“With hundreds of extras around, arrows flying and burn pots setting the castle on fire, there was no pulling out,” Crowe said. “As I jumped, I remember thinking, ‘This is going to hurt.’ “
The New Zealand native told People that he was trying to land on the balls of his feet to better absorb the impact. However, Crowe recalled feeling his heels hit the ground first when he landed.
“It was like an electric shock bursting up through my body,” Crowe said. “We were shooting a big movie, so you just struggle through, but the last month of that job was very tricky. There was a number of weeks where even walking was a challenge.”
Despite the lingering pain, Crowe continued shooting “Robin Hood.” He told People that he “never discussed the injury with production, never took a day off because of it, I just kept going to work.”
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Crowe recalled that he began experiencing “very strange pains” in his lower legs and decided to consult a doctor where he underwent an MRI and X-ray imaging exams.
“I thought it was nothing serious,” he told People. “After working through a long New York winter, my body was just missing exercise and sunshine.”
However, Crowe said he was shocked when his doctor looked at the X-rays and then asked him when he had broken his legs.
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“Apparently he could see the remnants of fractures in both shin-bones,” Crowe remembered. “To jog my memory he said, ‘Would it have been maybe 10 years ago?'”
Crowe said that he instantly remembered the incident that had occurred on the set of “Robin Hood.”
“Apparently I finished that movie with two broken legs,” he noted. “All for art. No cast, no splints, no painkillers, just kept going to work and over time they healed themselves.”
The actor realized in hindsight that he had taken a year off after finishing production on “Robin Hood.” He didn’t work again until taking on the role of Jor-El, the father of Superman in the 2013 movie “Man of Steel.”
“In retrospect I obviously knew something was wrong,” Crowe said.
He continued,”To be the Kryptonian father of Superman was six months of incredibly intense physical training. Between the time off and that training, things fixed themselves.”
Crowe played the titular character in “Robin Hood,”a retelling of the legendary outlaw’s story that was directed by Ridley Scott and also starred Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins, and Max von Sydow.
The two-time Golden Globe winner is currently starring as a U.S. Air Force drone pilot in the new action thriller “Land of Bad” alongside Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth, Ricky Whittle, and Milo Ventimiglia.
“Land of Bad” was released in theaters Feb. 16.
