Iconic actor Russell Crowe revealed his experience from the set of his 2010 film, “Robin Hood,” where a stunt went awry, leading to a serious injury, according to an exclusive interview with PEOPLE published Saturday.
The Oscar-winning actor opened up about an accident over a decade ago which left him with a fractured leg. “I jumped off a castle portcullis onto rock-hard uneven ground,” he told PEOPLE. “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.”
With so many things going on at the set at the time, Crowe had no choice but to commit to the jump. “With hundreds of extras around, arrows flying and burn pots setting the castle on fire, there was no pulling out,” he added. “As I jumped, I remember thinking, ‘This is going to hurt.'”
Russell Crowe Reveals He Fractured Both Legs During ‘Robin Hood’ Shoot: ‘I Just Kept Going’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/dwojomt0If
— People (@people) February 17, 2024
The actor reportedly landed with his heels first on the uneven ground. “It was like an electric shock bursting up through my body,” he continued. “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.” (RELATED: Anthony Anderson Says ‘Movie Set Fight Gone Wrong’ Sent Him To ER)
Crowe chose not to disclose his injury to the production team, nor did he take any time off to recuperate, according to the outlet. It wasn’t until a decade later, when unusual pains prompted him to seek medical advice, that the true extent of his injuries was revealed through an MRI and X-rays.
After reviewing the X-rays, Crowe’s doctor reportedly turned and asked, “When did you break your legs?” “Apparently he could see the remnants of fractures in both shin bones,” Crowe, who was reportedly shocked, recalled. “To jog my memory he said, ‘Would have been maybe 10 years ago?'”
The results of his scans were traced back to the leap while filming “Robin Hood.”
“Apparently I finished that movie with two broken legs,” Crowe recounted. “All for art. No cast, no splints, no painkillers, just kept going to work and over time they healed themselves.”
“I thought it was nothing serious,” he said. “After working through a long New York winter, my body was just missing exercise and sunshine.”