The Big Picture In an alternative reality, there's a version of The Lord of the Rings trilogy in which Fellowship of the Ring member Aragorn is played by Russell Crowe . In our timeline, however, the Gladiator star turned down the role in the early aughts, back when the trilogy was taking shape. In an interview with British GQ, Crowe revealed why he ultimately decided to turn down the role — and if he regrets it.
"I very much felt the studio were making that decision, not the film director. And I talked to Peter Jackson over the phone, and he wasn’t saying the sort of things that directors were saying to you if they were really trying to attract you to a project. And I just kind of got a sense that he already had somebody else in mind that he wanted to do. And me stepping forward and saying yes was actually going to get in his way.
It's not uncommon for studios to push for certain actors to star in IPs that might become huge franchises. It's a way to lure people to movie theaters to watch something they otherwise wouldn't. Back in 2000, Crowe was fresh off Gladiator and at the height of his popularity. So it makes sense that the studio would want a big name to put on the poster.