Russell Crowe reveals Robin Hood incident that broke his legs

Russell Crowe has revealed details of an incident on the set of the 2010 action movie Robin Hood left his legs fractured.

The 59-year-old actor starred as Robin Longstride in the film, which was directed by Ridley Scott.

The movie, adapted from the classic folklore, follows Robin as he gathers a band of warriors to fight corruption in Nottingham.

In an interview with People, Crowe recalled the incident, saying: “I jumped off a castle portcullis onto rock-hard uneven ground. 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,” he said.

The Gladiator star added: “With hundreds of extras around, arrows flying and burn pots setting the castle on fire, there was no pulling out.”

“As I jumped, I remember thinking, ‘This is going to hurt.’”

Crowe said he remembers landing heels first on the uneven ground, feeling “like an electric shock bursting up through my body”.

The Oscar-winning actor revealed he “struggled” during the last month of filming due to the injury, but he refused to stop working.

“There was a number of weeks where even walking was a challenge,” he said, adding that he “never discussed the injury with production” and “never took a day off because of it, I just kept going to work”.

Crowe only found out the extent of his injuries a decade later, when his doctor told him they found “remnants of fractures in both shin bones” in an x-ray.

“Apparently, I finished that movie with two broken legs,” he said. “All for art. No cast, no splints, no painkillers, just kept going to work, and over time, they healed themselves.”

Alongside Crowe, the cast of Robin Hood included Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Mark Addy, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Eileen Atkins and Max von Sydow.

Crowe had previously worked with filmmaker Ridley Scott on the historical drama film Gladiator. The movie won five Academy Awards, including the Best Picture prize and a Best Actor win for Crowe.

Paul Mescal is set to lead in a sequel to the 2000s movie, which is slated to release in November.

He will star opposite Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi and Joseph Quinn.