Russell Crowe almost lost out on career-making role, Romper Stomper director Geoffrey Wright reveals

Russell Crowe in his most recent film, The Pope's Exorcist.

Russell Crowe almost lost out on the role that arguably started his career because he wasn’t “bankable”.

New Zealand-born actor Crowe shot to fame after starring in the 1992 cult classic Romper Stomper but it seems things could have been very different if director and writer Geoffrey Wright hadn’t put up a winning fight.

The Herald Sun has reported Wright spoke to James Phelps for his new book Australia’s Most Infamous Jail, Inside the Walls of Pentridge Prison - the prison where Andrew Kirby, the inspiration for Crowe’s character served his time - and revealed producers weren’t sold on Crowe as the lead as they thought he wasn’t “bankable”.

Russell Crowe stars in Romper Stomper.

“There was pressure on us to cast Ben Mendelsohn as Hando,” Wright said, referring adding the Australian actor was already a “recognised star” while Crowe was “relatively unknown outside of New Zealand”.

The multitalented director and writer went on to say he fought hard for the Kiwi star as he saw “energy” in him that would “turn Romper Stomper’s antagonist, Hando, into a charismatic monster, a really unforgettable villain. But I had a tough time convincing the investors of that.”

After a tough battle, Crowe finally landed the lead role, giving a captivating performance of a man who led a racist youth gang in their nights attacking Asian immigrants on the streets of Melbourne.

“As good as Ben would have been, Russell took Romper Stomper to a whole other level with a transcendent performance,” Wright said in the book. “There’s no other actor in the world who could have done it better.”

Russell Crowe went on to star in Gladiator in 2000 and win an Oscar.

It was a choice that paid off for both Wright and Crowe as the actor won countless awards for his portrayal as Hando, including a Film Critics Circle of Australia gong for Best Actor.

The film also became a major success, earning $3.2 million at the Australian box office, becoming the second highest-grossing film in Australia in 1992 - missing out to Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom.

Crowe has gone on to become an Oscar-winning actor after starring in major Hollywood films including Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and his newly-released film, The Pope’s Exorcist.