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Yates: I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC EVEN CONCEIVES OF
WHAT WE DO OR HOW MUCH WE DO, WHAT IT ENTAILS,
BECAUSE GENERAL PUBLIC, THEY GO, "OH, DID YOU MEET HIM?"
YOU KNOW, THE LEAD ACTOR
WHO YOU'VE SEEN NAKED FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
[ LAUGHS ]
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THE WHOLE SETUP FOR RUSSELL CROWE
IN RIDLEY SCOTT'S "GLADIATOR" WAS 12 SETS OF ARMOR
FROM WHEN HE STARTS AS A GENERAL
AND GOES THROUGH TO BEING A SLAVE,
THEN WHEN HE RISES AGAIN AS A GLADIATOR.
EACH SET OF ARMOR, WE HAD TO MAKE EIGHT REPEATS
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE, LET'S SAY,
FOUR FOR THE ACTOR AND FOUR FOR THE STUNT MAN.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME FOR THE RIDING STUNT MAN
AND THE FIGHTING STUNT MAN.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE CLEAN AND BLOODY AND MUDDY.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT SET AS THE PRISTINE ONE
OR SET AS "THIS IS THE MUDDY ONE."
WE CAN MAKE IT A BIT MUDDIER OR A BIT BLOODIER.
THE WHOLE OF RUSSELL'S ARMOR WAS QUIET CHALLENGING.
TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS COMFORTABLE,
IT WAS -- AT LOT OF IT WAS MADE IN FOAM RUBBER.
SO THAT WAS QUIET INTERESTING,
TO GET THE SAME AS THE URETHANE FINISH,
AND THEN TO GET THE FINISH TO LOOK LIKE METAL.
AND AS RUSSELL, OR MAXIMUS, SUCCEEDS, FIGHT AFTER FIGHT,
HE ADDS ANOTHER FIGURINE TO THE BREASTPLATE.
THE BREASTPLATE IS MADE IN HARDENED BLACK LEATHER.
AND THEN, THE ACTUAL PIECES ARE NOT REAL SILVER,
BUT THEY'RE MADE TO FACSIMILE SILVER.
THEY IDEA OF THE ADDITIONS TO THE CUIRASS IN SILVER
WAS ACTUALLY RUSSELL'S OWN IDEA.
AND HE TALKED IT OVER WITH RIDLEY.
THEY BOTH THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE AWAY A FEELING OF STRENGTH
AND THE FACT THAT RUSSELL'S CHARACTER
IS JUST SO MUSCLE-RIPPLINGLY STRONG
AND NOBLE AND HONEST AND TRUE.
I THINK THAT SHOWS IN THIS BREASTPLATE.
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