Russell Crowe is known for portraying some of the most iconic characters and delivering a series of blockbusters. But the journey was not at all easy as the Oscar winner had some significant problems during the filming of the movie which helped him to attain international stardom. While the lack of fame then was a major issue, the author of the source material of the movie was also displeased with his performance.
L.A. Confidential is one of the most iconic Hollywood movies with a stellar cast. The 1997 crime movie by the late Curtis Hanson had Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito, and many others. The movie was based on James Ellroy’s 1990 book of the same name but surprisingly, the author was not so pleased by the classic as the critics or the audiences.
James Ellroy wasn’t impressed by the L.A. Confidential film adaptation
The 1997 American crime film was not only a massive hit but also earned an impressive set of reviews from both the critics and the audiences. L.A. Confidential also achieved big at the Academy Awards where it bagged nine nominations including two wins. But even after so many feats, the movie failed to impress the author of the 1990 novel of the same name on which the movie was based.
Earlier also James Ellroy commented on his disappointment towards L.A. Confidential. Recently in the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the author was awarded the Robert Kirsch Award. At the event, Ellroy sat for a discussion with Michael Connelly where he reflected his thoughts on the movie once again.
“People love the movie ‘L.A. Confidential’. I think it’s turkey of the highest form. I think Russell Crowe and Kim Basinger are impotent. The director died, so now I can disparage the movie.”
Although the 75-year-old author was displeased with the movie and its stars, Kim Basinger went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. It can’t be denied that the $126 million grosser also has its share of admirers and has a huge contribution in elevating the popularity of Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce who were not great names then. Even the Gladiator fame also faced another set of troubles in the movie when the makers desperately tried to replace him from the movie.
Russell Crowe didn’t have a good time filming L.A. Confidential
Russell Crowe was not a favorite among the L.A. Confidential makers who wanted names like Sean Penn or Robert De Niro to play his role. The news was broken by The Pope’s Exorcist actor himself in an interview with Vanity Fair, where he revealed how the production company stopped paying his hotel bills and rental cars.
“A few days into the rehearsals, the studio stopped paying the bill at the hotel, and they stopped paying for my rental car. The studio didn’t want me to be in that role. They wanted, I think, Sean Penn and Robert De Niro in the film or something. Things that they could quantify and understand.”
However, the attempts to make Crowe walk out of the movie went in vain and he went on to provide a brilliant performance. Russell Crowe continued to achieve more fame when he won the Oscar for Best Actor for Gladiator in 2001. Later on, he also got part in a series of highly-rated movies namely The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Robin Hood, and countless others.
Russell Crowe is also slated to appear in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and is set to release on October 6 this year.
L.A. Confidential can be streamed on Hulu.
Source: Variety
