Russell Crowe Digs Pittsburgh Sights, Sports
Actor Enjoys City During 'The Next Three Days' Movie Shoot
POSTED: 5:01 pm EST December 3, 2009
UPDATED: 2:07 pm EST December 4, 2009
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SHARPSBURG, Pa. -- Actor Russell Crowe is seeing much of what Pittsburgh has to offer and is becoming a fan of the city's architecture, its people and its sports teams as he continues shooting a new movie, "The Next Three Days."Slideshow: See Images From The SetOn Thursday, he took time out from a day of filming on Eighth Street in Sharpsburg and spoke with WTAE Channel 4's Sally Wiggin about all of the things he's been doing lately."I have been to pee-wee football games. I have ridden something like 530, 540 miles on my bicycle. I know the north, south, east and west. I think it's probably one of the friendliest cities I have ever spent time in in America," Crowe said. "I really enjoy being here. Maybe it's just because I'm an outsider, and I see things a little clearer, but nobody ever talks about the beauty of the architecture in Pittsburgh -- the churches, the steeples, like this one back here. It's just gorgeous." Uncut Video - 
Watch The On-Set Interview With Russell Crowe Crowe described himself as a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins fan who has gone to games at Mellon Arena and met team captain Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot on the set of the new movie."Been a Penguin fan since 1998, when I did a movie ("Mystery, Alaska") about ice hockey," Crowe said. "Jaromir Jagr took me under his little Penguin wing and, actually, at one point in time, he said, "You know, Russell, I really admire your heart, but you don't have the ankles to be a skater.'"An Academy Award winner for his role in "Gladiator," Crowe has also been invited to Steelers games at Heinz Field and was surprised to learn that coach Mike Tomlin quoted a famous line from that movie as inspiration for a playoff run."We will not go gently. We will unleash hell here in December," Tomlin said -- paraphrasing Crowe's Maximus character -- after Sunday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He later explained he got the idea after watching "Gladiator" in the team hotel before the game."I would like to meet Mike Tomlin. He is a class act. He has done a great job with the team," Crowe said. "I don't know if you know, but I run a sports team in Australia, so I'm always looking for inspirational people to talk to them. I think he's a fantastic guy, and I hope December is good for the Steelers."Crowe's team is the South Sydney Rabbitohs -- also nicknamed the "Souths" -- of Australia's National Rugby League. Steelers president Art Rooney allowed Crowe to tape a video for the rugby team inside Heinz Field, and Crowe posted that video online to let everyone know how he's doing in Pittsburgh and encourage them to visit the city someday."Mr. Rooney has been extremely generous with me," Crowe said. "Two games, I've gotten to take a whole bunch of people there, been on the grass in warm-up, and I just recently did my annual message to the members of South Sydney, and they let me shoot it in the Steelers locker room and gave me a whole bunch of footage of the crowd going nuts with the Terrible Towel and all that sort of stuff, so it has been an education for me."In "The Next Three Days," Crowe plays a man who thinks his wife -- played by Elizabeth Banks -- has been wrongly convicted and imprisoned for murder, and he's determined to break her out."I get 10 shades of crap beaten out of me in the movie, so it hasn't exactly been comfortable playing the role," said Crowe. "At the core of it, he's a man that believes in his wife and would do anything for his wife. You know, I'm a long way away from my wife and my kids at the moment. We've got seven more shooting days, nine more days in Pittsburgh, 11 days before I cuddle my kids -- but who's counting?"Director Paul Haggis, who also has an Academy Award, said he shares Crowe's appreciation for Pittsburgh and is enjoying his first time working with the actor."I was terrified, completely, with his reputation and that," Haggis said. "But my God, he has turned out to be a gem and we're getting on so well and we're working together so well, so it tells you not to believe everything you hear."
Watch The On-Set Interview With Russell Crowe Crowe described himself as a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins fan who has gone to games at Mellon Arena and met team captain Sidney Crosby and Max Talbot on the set of the new movie."Been a Penguin fan since 1998, when I did a movie ("Mystery, Alaska") about ice hockey," Crowe said. "Jaromir Jagr took me under his little Penguin wing and, actually, at one point in time, he said, "You know, Russell, I really admire your heart, but you don't have the ankles to be a skater.'"An Academy Award winner for his role in "Gladiator," Crowe has also been invited to Steelers games at Heinz Field and was surprised to learn that coach Mike Tomlin quoted a famous line from that movie as inspiration for a playoff run."We will not go gently. We will unleash hell here in December," Tomlin said -- paraphrasing Crowe's Maximus character -- after Sunday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He later explained he got the idea after watching "Gladiator" in the team hotel before the game."I would like to meet Mike Tomlin. He is a class act. He has done a great job with the team," Crowe said. "I don't know if you know, but I run a sports team in Australia, so I'm always looking for inspirational people to talk to them. I think he's a fantastic guy, and I hope December is good for the Steelers."Crowe's team is the South Sydney Rabbitohs -- also nicknamed the "Souths" -- of Australia's National Rugby League. Steelers president Art Rooney allowed Crowe to tape a video for the rugby team inside Heinz Field, and Crowe posted that video online to let everyone know how he's doing in Pittsburgh and encourage them to visit the city someday."Mr. Rooney has been extremely generous with me," Crowe said. "Two games, I've gotten to take a whole bunch of people there, been on the grass in warm-up, and I just recently did my annual message to the members of South Sydney, and they let me shoot it in the Steelers locker room and gave me a whole bunch of footage of the crowd going nuts with the Terrible Towel and all that sort of stuff, so it has been an education for me."In "The Next Three Days," Crowe plays a man who thinks his wife -- played by Elizabeth Banks -- has been wrongly convicted and imprisoned for murder, and he's determined to break her out."I get 10 shades of crap beaten out of me in the movie, so it hasn't exactly been comfortable playing the role," said Crowe. "At the core of it, he's a man that believes in his wife and would do anything for his wife. You know, I'm a long way away from my wife and my kids at the moment. We've got seven more shooting days, nine more days in Pittsburgh, 11 days before I cuddle my kids -- but who's counting?"Director Paul Haggis, who also has an Academy Award, said he shares Crowe's appreciation for Pittsburgh and is enjoying his first time working with the actor."I was terrified, completely, with his reputation and that," Haggis said. "But my God, he has turned out to be a gem and we're getting on so well and we're working together so well, so it tells you not to believe everything you hear."
Previous Stories:
- October 23, 2009: Russell Crowe Movie Scene Stalled By Runaway Stroller
- October 15, 2009: Russell Crowe In Fender-Bender With Pittsburgh Fire Truck
- October 8, 2009: Russell Crowe In Allegheny County Jail (For Movie)
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