Russell Crowe bombed audition for ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding,’ director reveals

nypost.com:

Russell Crowe made “Gladiator,” the Oscar-winning actor might have starred in the iconic rom-com “My Best Friend’s Wedding” — but he blew it.Instead, the role opposite Julia Roberts in the 1997 flick was snagged by Dermot Mulroney.The film’s director also revealed that their lead had gunned for Drew Barrymore to play her foe in a romantic triangle with Mulroney’s character, rather than Cameron Diaz.“My Best Friend’s Wedding” follows Roberts’ Jules as she pines for her bestie Michael (Mulroney), and plots against his fiancée, Kimmy (Diaz).PJ Hogan said the gruff Australian actor seemed fit for the part at first. “My first choice was actually Russell Crowe,” Hogan explained in a recent Vulture retrospective of the film.The filmmaker continued, “Russell was, I thought, probably the most amazing actor I had ever encountered.

I kind of knew Russell was going to be a really big star.”Roberts had final casting approval and therefore, had to screen test with the “Beautiful Mind” actor to see if the pair had chemistry.“No one was getting in this movie if Julia didn’t approve,” Hogan noted. “I don’t know what went wrong,” he wondered. “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. He read every line in a monotone.”The “Confessions of a Shopaholic” director added, “At one point, Julia was literally leaning over the table, staring, like, inches from Russell’s face, trying to make eye contact.