Gladiator Q&A ~ 2001
Editor's note: I originally sent this report to MaximumCrowe.com.
Much of this Q&A is finally available to everyone on the Gladiator Blu-ray DVD.
Russell did a question and answer session at a screening of Gladiator at the Century City AMC. I had tickets to the 7:30 screening. On the way in I recognized the familiar bodyguards from so many photos.
The FBI men were all wearing dark suits and touching their earpieces, talking to each other. I was surprised there were so many. Later in the evening, during the film, I stepped out to use the bathroom. There were four huge men staring at me. I blanched and they all directed me to the restroom, not 30 feet away. When I came out, I felt compelled to get their permission to get a Coke. This atmosphere made me reluctant to leave my seat and return outside to see Russell arrive. I was concerned that security might not let me back in.
Russell entered from the front of the theater, to the side of the stage, wearing a black suit with a blue shirt. That hair has a mind of its own. He kept trying to tame it back with his hand and then soon, more locks would fall onto his forehead again. He seemed a little nervous during the introduction, rubbing his face a lot. He spoke first of his cast mates and about Joaquin, "I call him my sweet chocolate Prince," then explained that when he'd said Joaquin couldn't hide anymore, "everyone knows now" (at both the BFCAs and the BAFTAs I think), he meant that Joaquin was very talented and the world knew it. Then he did a very funny impression of Joaquin saying he was "just a kid from Florida" and so on.
He told us again how to spell POHMs, just like he did in Austin. Prisoners of Her Majesty, this was in relation to Ridley Scott, whom he told a joke about, says that movie he made about Columbus, 1492. He said that was its total take at the box office ($14.92). Said he could kid Ridley about this because every film he'd ever done "except Gladiator, tanked." He mimicked himself as a child on Spyforce. Then he made us sing Happy Birthday to a 15-year-old in the audience. He introduced the film in Maximus' low growl.
It was lovely to see Gladiator again on the big screen and what looked like a brand new copy of the film. Plus to be in an audience of die hard Gladiator fans was very cool. They anticipate all the jokes, they know all the lines, they point out all the inconsistencies and clap for the man in the jeans, and of course, they cheer for Maximus. It was as close to my dream of Rocky-Horror style Midnight Maximus as I think I'm going to get.
Russell seemed much more relaxed when he returned for the Q&A. He strode back down the main aisle and took up the bag of questions we'd printed while in line. First he mocked the guy who'd filled for him, saying that the writer of the first question he chose would win a night with the guy, "the runner up will win ... a week!" Then he shook the bag and pulled out a handful of cards, telling us, "This is just between you and me ... no buffers." Earlier he'd said that "rude" questions would probably do well.
A couple of times he got disoriented, like when he said, "I was telling this joke in the other room ... or wait, was that in here?" (note: there were two screenings and two Q&As that night running on a staggered schedule) The audience had to supply him with the joke or help him remember where he'd left off a few times.
Someone's cell phone went off and he stopped mid-story and turned wild eyed in the direction of the sound. "What the fuck is that? Shut that fucking thing off! Take that to the back of the room!" He grins, everyone is laughing, he was getting a good reaction. Then addressing us all, "Shut your crap off, people! I'm trying to tell a story here." Similar reaction when one of the FBI guys began talking into his two-way at the back of the room. "Hey! Shut up! The SAGs aren't until Sunday, mate! Worry about that later! Tonight, we're here!"
There were a lot of silly voices and big, physical jokes. He was very entertaining. I had the impression we were being treated to a kinder, gentler version of his best press conferences. He would read some of the questions out loud, ask the author to stand, and then do that thing where he makes you feel like you are the only person in the room with him.
The first girl seemed to be asking an incomplete question about whose hand we see in the wheat field. Russell did not understand and as the girl began over he blurted "I got that part! What's the second part?" As you can imagine, this did not help her communication efforts, so he came right over to her so he could hear her better and had her repeat until he understood. I was sitting in the next row and snapped a quick photo as he reached out toward her.
He confirmed that it is not his hand that sweeps over the wheat in Gladiator, nor is it he in the final dream scene from behind, walking toward his wife. Both are his stunt double Stuart (Clark), who fulfilled the same task in Proof of Life. Those scenes were shot in Tuscany and Russell did all of his scenes in Malta.
He was very cooperative about taking his photo. He would hold still, hold the smile, move to where he was more visible, and turn to the flash. When I got my camera out, after the press at the back started flashing, I had a "he's looking at me!" moment. LoL I'm perched on the edge of my seat, grinning like a maniac. Eventually I calmed down.
He mentioned being at ShoWest, "I'm doing Chris Rock tonight. Heeheeheehee. I shook his hand last night, and something happened," thrusts his hand out like he's shaking and then pretends to be electrocuted. He laughs, giggles actually, at his own jokes.
He seemed to take the questions very seriously, rubbing his face and furrowing his brow, then he'd give these really long, thought-out answers. It's easy to feel like you've established a connection at that point and people couldn't resist adding something else. Suddenly, he's bellowing again, "Is that on the fuckin' card, mate? If it's not on the fuckin' card, forget it!" Or, "Who the hell do you think you are? Katie Couric?" Then he does this smarmy American journalist voice, "Just thought I'd add a supplemental question," grinning after to let us all in on the joke. I can see how the press easily misrepresents him when either they just don't get his sense of humor or fail to describe the context. What is hysterically funny in person could easily sound like a real bastard in print.
He said that he did in fact make a solo motorcycle trip earlier in the week from Nashville to New York. He said he'd been to Graceland, but didn't go in. "I'm not payin' money to see that shit!" He told us the story about finding Jamie O'Neal. He pretended he couldn't remember the name of her song and wanted us to tell him. He said he sang "Folsom Prison Blues" with her on stage. He said the band might play Austin, Texas on August 11, "the official TOFOG day in Texas, Heeheeheeheehee." He said they were thinking of touring, "on the road" rather than by plane, and said they'd "considered Canada ... Toronto and Calgary ... as places they would not go. Heeheeheeheehee."
He answered a question about the actors who have had the greatest impact on him. John Meillon, who did "Inn of the Damned ... a piece of shit, heeheeheeheehee," and Jack Thompson, because they were "naturalistic" and "spoke in their true speaking voice" versus the stiff Shakespearean manner. We cheered when he mentioned Thompson and he told us, "He'll appreciate that. I won't tell him it was that loud. (shrugs and nods his head like he's talking to Jack) Couple people applauded, mate."
To the question: "Who is your hero?" He thought a long time and at first said he didn't know, someone yelled, "I thought it was Elvis."
Serious, "No, it wouldn't be anyone like Elvis. My Uncle Dave."
He said his uncle was a "king bullshit artist and that's saying a lot because my whole family are bullshit artists." When his uncle was dying, he was sleeping a lot and barely awake. Russell went to Auckland and screened Gladiator for him. Uncle Dave stayed awake a long time that day and seemed very excited about seeing the film.
Dave told Russell, "That was a good movie, I've got to tell (his Grandma) about it, do you know where she lives?"
Russell said his grandma had been dead for years and he didn't know what to say to the old man so he told him, "Ah, I'll find out for you Uncle Dave."
Russell twinkles, imitating Dave, "I'll be seeing her before you!"
He described his preparation for scenes. "I have a story in my head," and that often this story has little to do with what we see in the film. For instance with Maximus and Lucilla, he imagined that they had known each other since they were children and that "through natural attrition," he was the last remaining male of the boys they'd grown up with. He thought he had "hung out with Lucilla a lot ... but then she gets sent away to school by her father, and she thinks he is protecting her from him (Maximus) but really Marcus Aurelius is protecting his soldier."
At the end he referred to his next role playing "crazy" in New York and joked about it doing a spastic imitation. He still sounds unsure of himself as he prepares for A Beautiful Mind. I was completely charmed and thrilled to have been there.
Note: friends told me later that they went back outside and Russell signed autographs, posed for photos and said hello to hundreds of people in line. One tried to catch him inside the theater at the end and was blissed-out because he was pressed up against her by the crowd. She dutifully reported that he smelled "clean, like soap".
~ Tamara
