Russell Crowe Once Shared Starring in ‘Cinderella Man’ Helped Him Control His Temper
Actor Russell Crowe has been known for his short tempter in the past. But his boxing film Cinderella Man had a surprising and positive effect on the actor.
Russell Crowe credited ‘Cinderella Man’ for curbing his temper
Crowe’s temper had a habit of landing him in hot water. The Gladiator star was involved in more than a few controversies in the past after losing his cool. Some of these scandals came from what could’ve been minor inconveniences, and even earned the actor a felony charge. In an interview with Australia’s Sunday Night (via E News), Crowe explained what the source of his hot temper might have been.
“I’m extremely sensitive, and that’s probably where some of my negative stuff comes from,” Crowe said. “I’m a little bit intuitive, so I know from a handshake whether somebody means me good or ill. And sometimes I don’t want to, once I know where they’re coming from, I don’t want to play that game anymore.”
Over the years, however, Crowe hoped to better manage his temper to avoid public tantrums. Apart from self-reflection, he believed Cinderella Man played an underrated role in keeping him calm. Crowe trained as a boxer in the 2005 Ron Howard feature. The mental discipline required for Crowe to get into boxing shape taught him all he needed about self-control.
“If you take your anger into the boxing ring, you’re going to get beaten,” Crowe once said according to Irish Examiner. “You can have anger, but it’s not going to get you anywhere. You’ve got to be able to control it.”
Russell Crowe was warned there was ‘no coming back’ from his ‘Cinderella Man’ injury
Crowe pushed himself beyond his limits to inhabit the role of his Cinderella character James Braddock. To honor the boxer who his character was based on, Crowe participated in a rigorous training regimen. Learning from the same coach that taught Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, Crowe was able to enter the mindset of a boxer.
“He built in me the ability to keep going, to keep my head clear no matter how much punishment I was taking, and, you know, no matter how deep you’re dragging for a breath,” he once told NBC News about his coach. “And that’s the whole key to it. If you can keep your head clear, you can keep going forward.”
But performing at such a level didn’t come without risk for the Proof of Life actor. The Oscar-winner ended up dislocating his shoulder during a sparring session, which resulted in a severe injury. The accident happened just before filming began for Cinderella Man, and Crowe was told not to push himself. But he couldn’t accept the doctor’s advice since it came at the cost of the film.
“The doctors kept saying, ‘If he goes down again, there’s no coming back,’” Howard once recalled to Entertainment Weekly. “It was nerve-racking as hell. But what were the options? Not do the movie?”
Russell Crowe was told James Braddock was his most relatable character
Howard saw a lot of similarities between Braddock and Crowe. The Unhinged star acknowledged that he felt a connection with Braddock when he started reading about the athlete. The former boxer was a devoted family man who triumphed over overwhelming adversity, somewhat similar to Crowe and his family career. But Crowe didn’t fully recognize whatever other similarities they shared.
“Ron Howard has said a number of times that—apart from that aspect, apart from the athletic aspect of Braddock, that this is the closest character to who I am that I’ve ever played,” Crowe said. “I’m not sure that I necessarily agree with that, but, you know, Braddock’s attitude to his family, the things that he would do for his family, his attitude and his righteousness about the reasons for social welfare, this is a big deal for me.”
