Odds are good you’ve never seen Russell Crowe and Henry Cavill’s first movie together Proof of Life, but you definitely should. After a few attempts to crack Hollywood with movies like Virtuosity or Sam Raimi’s The Quick and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, it was the one-two punch of The Insider and Gladiator that cemented Russell Crowe’s movie stardom.
The latter Ridley Scott movie became an instant classic, with General turned slave Maximus becoming Crowe’s most iconic role. On paper, his next movie Proof of Life sounded like a safe bet, being a mix of thriller and romance co-starring Meg Ryan.
That didn’t turn out to be the case, as Proof of Life received mixed reviews (it sits at 39% on Rotten Tomatoes) and flopped in December 2000, having grossed a little less than its $65 million budget (via The Numbers).
This was likely due to the media frenzy surrounding Crowe and Ryan, who began a relationship during filming while Ryan was still married to Dennis Quaid. Despite Proof of Life’s failure it has developed a small following in the years since, but a little known piece of trivia is that Proof of Life marked Crowe’s first encounter with Henry Cavill.
Russell Crowe & Henry Cavill’s First Movie Together Was Proof Of Life
You may have to squint to spot Proof of Life’s Henry Cavill’s appearance
During a promotional appearance for Man of Steel on The Graham Norton Show in 2013, Cavill and Crowe reminisced about their first meeting on the set of Proof of Life. This involved a scene where Crowe’s kidnapping and ransom negotiator Terry visits his son at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire.
In the background of their meeting, there is a rugby match happening, with 16-year-old Henry Cavill being part of the team. During a break in filming, the young Cavill (who recalled his nickname at the time was “Fat Cavill”) went over to Crowe to ask him for advice on becoming an actor.
Henry Cavill also acknowledged how bizarre it was that his first major role would end up casting Crowe as his father, since he was one of the first people to convince him to pursue becoming an actor.
12 years later, the duo were playing father and son Jor-El and Kal-El in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. During their interactions on set, Crowe couldn’t escape the feeling that he knew his young co-star from somewhere, and after failing to remember, he asked him directly.
This is where Cavill reminded Crowe of their first meeting years before on Proof of Life. Cavill also acknowledged how bizarre it was that his first major role would end up casting Crowe as his father, since he was one of the first people to convince him to pursue acting.
Of course, Cavill being part of a background game of rugby makes him hard to spot in Proof of Life, but he is there. Cavill would make his actual movie debut the following year with Vendetta, co-starring Joe Mantegna.
Crowe Gave 16-Year-Old Cavill Career Advice On Proof Of Life’s Set
“The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step”
Despite their first meeting on Proof of Life being relatively brief, Cavill made an impression on Crowe. Crowe recalled being impressed by the 16-year-old’s focus and leadership during the rugby match, and equally by the directness of his questions about becoming an actor. Crowe’s key piece of advice was that nobody was going to hand it to him.
Crowe admitted it could be exciting and well-paid work, but if Cavill really wanted it, he’d have to dedicate himself. While later putting together a package to send the young actor who played his son in Proof of Life, Crowe made one for Cavill too.
Crowe added a few goodies and a signed pH๏τo, accompanied with the message “The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step,” which was Crowe’s way of saying that if Cavill truly wanted to become a star, that’s the mentality he needed to have.
That’s what the young actor ended up doing, and some early Henry Cavill movies include the likes of Hellraiser: Hellworld and Stardust; he also narrowly missed out on Batman Begins and Casino Royale during this time.
Henry Cavill also auditioned for the тιтle roles in Superman Returns and Green Lantern.
The latter James Bond movie actually came down to Daniel Craig and Cavill, but it was decided that at 22, Cavill was too young to carry the weight of the franchise.
Proof Of Life Predicted Cavill & Crowe’s Future Collaborations
Crowe and Cavill appear destined to work together every 13 years or so
Proof of Life might be largely forgotten now, but it quietly had a big impact on Cavill’s life and career. His meeting with Crowe also predicted their future working relationship, as not only did they work on Man of Steel, they will reunite on the upcoming remake of Highlander (via Variety).
Chad Stahelski’s reboot of the sci-fi fantasy franchise has been in development hell for years, with Cavill locked in to play the тιтular immortal for a long time. It was recently confirmed that Crowe would play the mentor to Cavill’s character in Highlander, though if this character is the same as Sean Connery’s Ramírez has yet to be revealed.
|
The Highlander Movie Franchise |
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
Box Office Gross |
|---|---|---|
|
Highlander (1986) |
69% |
$12.9 million |
|
Highlander 2: The Quickening (1991) |
0% |
$14.2 million |
|
Highlander 3: The Sorcerer (1994) |
5% |
$13.8 million |
|
Highlander: Endgame (2000) |
11% |
$12.8 million |
|
Highlander: The Source (2007) |
N/A |
N/A |
Highlander is set to be ready for 2026 or 2027, meaning between Proof of Life and Man of Steel, Crowe and Cavill tend to work together every 13 years or so. When it comes to casting somebody as Cavill’s lifelong mentor for Highlander, it’s tough to imagine somebody better suited for the role than Russell Crowe.
Proof Of Life Was A Solid Thriller Overshadowed By The Russell Crowe/Meg Ryan Scandal
Proof of Life is worthy of rescuing
Proof of Life probably seemed like it couldn’t miss when Warner Bros greenlit it. It had “America’s Sweetheart” Meg Ryan in the lead, a newly minted star in Crowe and a great hook. It also had a seasoned director in Taylor Hackford and a great supporting cast, including David Morse and David Caruso.
It’s an odd blend of awards-bait drama, action thriller and romance, and while a tad unwieldy, it’s held together by the charisma of its cast and a thrilling finale. Of course, once the scandal surrounding the Ryan/Crowe affair blew up, that was all the media wanted to focus on.
Despite Crowe and Ryan having broken up before Proof of Life’s release, Hackford stated (via The Guardian) that their relationship “… had an indelible and very destructive effect on the release of the film in the US, because the real-life story overpowered the film.”
Crowe himself bit back at Hackford’s ᴀssertion with ‘What a f****** idiot. That’s what he said?,’ and believes the reason Proof of Life failed was its bad release date. “I wouldn’t see a hostage film at Christmas.” Crowe quickly bounced back from the movie’s failure with A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.
Proof of Life is no lost classic, but it deserves more than its gossipy reputation.
Despite being shown some love on The Rewatchables podcast, Proof of Life is something of a footnote 25 years after its debut. This is a pity, because it’s a big-budget thriller made for adults that shows off its two leads at the peak of their powers.
It’s got a slow-burn romance and explosive action, making it a solid date night thriller. It also features the immensely underrated David Morse doing incredible work as Ryan’s kidnapped husband, who endures a lot during his months-long captivity. Proof of Life is no lost classic, but it deserves more than its gossipy reputation.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers, The Graham Norton Show, Variety, The Guardian, The Rewatchables
