Russell Crowe outlines reason he turned down Aragorn role in Lord of the Rings
Russell Crowe confirmed that he down the opportunity to play Aragorn in The Lord of The Rings
Russell Crowe was once offered the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, he turned it down, leading to Viggo Mortensen taking on the character in what would become one of the most successful trilogies ever.
Crowe has now shed light on his decision to decline the role, despite his admiration for Tolkien's work. He felt that director Peter Jackson didn't really want him in the films. In a chat with GQ, when asked if he regretted his decision, he responded: "I don't actually. 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."
He further explained: "We come from the same place, so there's a nuance in that conversation that other people might not hear - we're both New Zealanders - in his own way, without him saying anything negative, that he had another plan. So I just left it at that."
Mortensen was recently asked if he would consider reprising his role as Aragorn in the new 'Hobbit' film directed by Andy Serkis. His response?
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"I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise."
On a related note, Ian McKellen also shed light on the possibility of him reprising his iconic role as Gandalf. He stated that he would take up the opportunity "if he's still alive."
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