During our Interview with RZA (writer, director actor) of The Man with the Iron Fists, the artist explained how Russell Crowe became the fictional character Jacknife.
“Russell Crowe is a master actor…he studies characters and becomes them,” stated RZA. “If you look at how well he became the character John Nash (A Beautiful Mind) …he became the boxer (Cinderella Man),” one can see the level of acting that follows with his name.
“There was no character to study, no emotional ground for the character…he (Jacknife) is a figment of my imagination. Being that there was no emotional ground for the character, I chose ODB (Ol’ Dirty Bastard, deceased founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan),” RZA explained.
Crowe assured RZA he would play the part as best he could by telling him, “You don’t have that Russell (Russell Jones, ODB’s natural born name) in your life anymore but, now you have Russell Crowe”. RZA followed by telling us that this reassurance from Crowe gave him a “big boost of confidence”; jokingly mentioning they would tell Crowe to “go Ol’ Dirty on them”.
It will definitely be interesting and fun to see Russell Crowe play the character Jacknife (inspired by ODB). ODB was known for his uniquely fun and eccentric way of carrying himself which was portrayed through his signature rap style.
The Man with the Iron Fists opens in theaters November 2nd.
Read: RZA on The Man with the Iron Fists
Read: RZA Talks About Getting Russell Crowe on Board His New Film
