JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Throwback: When Billy Crudup Revealed His Favorite Memory From Almost Famous Set; Called THIS An 'Extraordinary Experience'
Billy Crudup, who played Russell Hammond in the 2000 cult classic comedy-drama Almost Famous, once shared his fond memories of filming this movie.
Billy Crudup has worked on several influential films throughout his career, including one that stands out among his fans—his cult classic 2000 comedy-drama Almost Famous. Crudup once shared his favorite memory from the set of this beloved film, along with the challenges he faced while preparing for his role. Read on further for more details!
In a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly, Billy Crudup opened up about his experience filming Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous and revealed his one fond memory from the set. In the film, Crudup played the role of Russell Hammond, the guitarist of the rock band Stillwater, alongside his co-star Kate Hudson, who depicted Penny Lane.
The actor recalled that they spent "five or six" weeks rehearsing for their part, noting that they would practice during the day and then every night. He added the four members of Stillwater would go to a soundstage near Century City in Los Angeles, and Crowe, Peter Frampton, and Nancy Wilson would teach them how to perform as a rock band. He noted that this was a "pretty extraordinary experience" for him.
The After the Wedding actor further mentioned that the very first lesson he learned for his part was to relax. He shared that since he had never played guitar before, it was difficult to convincingly "fake" it for the part.
He explained that his character, Russell, was meant to be "great" rather than "just okay," so one of his primary challenges was finding "flexibility and relaxation" in a new and uncomfortable environment. He added, "So a lot of their encouragement was, ‘Billy, move around!’ Which I learned to do after a while."
During his candid chat with the publication, Crudup recalled a scene they were filming at the Palladium in Los Angeles, mentioning that in the scene, his character had a conversation with Patrick Fugit’s character, William Miller, telling him that his mom had "really freaked him out." He added that after this, as they turned around and walked onto the stage, they met with around 1,800 people screaming their "heads off."
The Rudderless actor noted that it was absolutely "pitch black" until the lights came on and he struck the guitar, expressing that he became very aware of how "intoxicating" such an experience must be for those who perform music.
Meanwhile, Almost Famous is available to stream on Prime Video. Aside from Billy Crudup, the movie also features Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Jason Lee, Zooey Deschanel, and Jimmy Fallon, among other talented stars.
Latest Articles
