Rusty can't find his funny bone
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday October 10, 2009
HAS Russell Crowe lost his sense of humour? Indeed, a few members of the rugby league community have been left wondering if he ever had one after the Oscar-winning actor unleashed his legal attack dogs over a fictitious and satirical book about a fake, fading, fat footy legend in which Crowe had a minor role.The Johnny Larkin Diaries, by the sporting writer Adrian Proszenko, tells the story of the fictional football legend Johnny "Cockroach" Larkin, described as "one of rugby league's most colourful and controversial characters" who is lured out of retirement, complete with "bung knee and bulging waistline". In the book, Larkin has one final shot at premiership glory to play for Crowe's beloved Rabbitohs.As a courtesy, Proszenko sent an unfinished manuscript to Crowe with a message that he hoped the actor would see the novel for the "good humour" it was intended to provide.Crowe failed to find anything to laugh about and summoned his lawyers, who fired off a legal letter threatening litigation action if the book was published. Proszenko eventually succumbed, but instead of ditching the book, he reworked it €“ sans Crowe.And while the likes of H.G. Nelson and Tommy Raudonikis saw the joke in the book and even wrote highly entertaining forewords, Crowe remained unamused. The actor's threats of litigation resulted in Proszenko pulping and rewriting more than 30 pages of the book €“ effectively deleting any reference to Crowe.The Johnny Larkin Diaries will be published though Allen & Unwin on October 26.PS was assured this week by the actor's Sydney mates that Crowe, currently in Pittsburgh shooting the thriller The Next Three Days, really does have a sense of humour.But even Crowe has admitted his sense of humour is something of an €“ ahem €“ acquired taste.He told The Independent in London last year: "It's just so convenient to take my sense of humour and pretend that it's anger, because my kind of dry humour doesn't go across very well. Sarcasm doesn't work on the page. But I can assure you that I'm not an angry man. I think I'm beyond caring about misconceptions."Hmmm, really?
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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