Internet divided as Russell Crowe reveals he broke legs on 'Robin Hood' set but waited decade to get help

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Russell Crowe has built a reputation in Hollywood for his extreme dedication to any film project he takes on. But new revelations this week expose just how far the 'Gladiator' star was willing to push himself through injury for the sake of his craft - playing out an entire production of 2010's 'Robin Hood' with two secret broken legs.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the "small mishap" a decade ago that left him with snapped shins, Crowe admitted he simply endured the agony without complaint and did not even realize the true extent of the damage until long after filming wrapped.

Russell Crowe reveals moment of dreadful accident

Crowe, speaking to People magazine this week, said the accident occurred while shooting an action scene requiring him to jump from a castle portcullis onto the uneven ground below.

Aware the ground had not been properly prepped with padding, the Oscar winner said he nevertheless went ahead with the stunt as there were "hundreds of extras around, arrows flying and burn pots setting the castle on fire."

"As I jumped, I remember thinking, 'This is going to hurt,'" Crowe recalled. Upon landing, he felt an "electric shock" surge up through his body. But with only fading light left to capture the crucial shot, he pressed on in agony.

Incredibly, Crowe finished the remainder of filming on what he now knows were two fractured legs. "We were shooting a big movie, so you just struggle through," he said, adding the last month was especially grueling. On some days even walking to set was a "monumental challenge," he said.

Yet, Crowe confessed he "never discussed the injury with production, never took a day off because of it." Instead, he simply "kept going to work" without complaint right up until the 'Robin Hood' shoot wrapped in 2009.

Damage finally caught up with Russell Crowe a decade later

It was not until a decade later, while preparing for an intensely physical role in a new project, that Crowe finally learned the extent of his 'Robin Hood' injuries. After experiencing strange leg pains, X-rays revealed he had clearly broken both shins back in 2009. His doctor was able to instantly identify the decade-old fractures.

"Apparently he could see the remnants of fractures in both shin bones," Crowe said. "To jog my memory he said, 'Would have been maybe 10 years ago?'"

The action star suddenly remembered the fateful portcullis jump during the filming of 'Robin Hood' that left him with extreme pain. "All for art," he remarked wryly. "No cast, no splints, no painkillers, just kept going to work and over time they healed themselves."

Internet reacts to Russell Crowe's decade-old stunt mishap

One X user hailed the actor's toughness, stating, "Beast." A different user humorously remarked, "Russell Crowe is so thick that the leg pains took a decade to register with his brain."

Expressing skepticism, a third commented, "Bullshit." Meanwhile, another individual criticized the revelation, saying, "This just sounds so dumb. 10 years passed, oh btw you broke your legs a decade ago."

A fifth user shared a personal experience, stating, "I've compound fractured my tibia and fibula... it's impossible to walk. He might have had a smaller hair fracture though; I was told smaller ones happen to us all the time with activity."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.