Russell Crowe Denies Rumor Of Embarrassing Audition With Julia Roberts: 'Pure Imagination'
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“My Best Friend’s Wedding” director P.J. Hogan claimed in an excerpt from Scott Meslow’s book, “From Hollywood With Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy,” that Russell Crowe auditioned for the film — with “one of the worst table reads” ever.
“Pure imagination on behalf of this director,” Crowe tweeted Friday. “I did not audition for this film. I have never done a table read with the actress mentioned. Would be funny if it wasn’t so pointless.”
The excerpt was published February in Vulture and centered on Hogan’s audition process for the 1997 Julia Roberts film, which ultimately saw Dermot Mulroney cast as her love interest. Hogan told Meslow that Crowe was his “first choice” but that Roberts had final “casting approval.”
“I don’t know what went wrong,” Hogan told Meslow. “It was one of the worst table reads I’ve ever experienced. Russell was seated opposite Julia. He gripped that script, and he stared at that script, and he didn’t look at her once.”
Pure imagination on behalf of this director. I did not audition for this film. I have never done a table read with the actress mentioned. Would be funny if it wasn’t so pointless. https://t.co/UxVTD1FYdA
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) October 14, 2022
Hogan said Crowe then uttered every one of his lines “in a monotone” while refusing to return Roberts’ gaze. He even claimed “Julia was literally leaning over the table, staring, like, inches from Russell’s face, trying to make eye contact. And he wouldn’t look at her.”
Hogan added he thought Crowe was “the most amazing actor” he’d ever met at the time and “knew Russell was going to be a really big star.” While Crowe was already breaking into Hollywood with films like “L.A. Confidential,” his Oscar-winning turn in “Gladiator” was still two years away.
“My Best Friend’s Wedding” centered on two childhood friends who vowed to marry each other if they were still single by 28. It grossed nearly $300 million worldwide and has become a classic entry in the rom-com genre. While Crowe denies having auditioned, Hogan recalls how confident he was at the table read.
“At the end of the reading, Russell came up to me and said, ‘I thought that went pretty well,’” Hogan added. “And then I knew: Russell was not going to be in My Best Friend’s Wedding.”
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
