Russell Crowe to play Bill Hicks?

Oz thespo working on draft script

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Entertainment, 19th August 2008 14:00 GMT

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It appears we have the leaves of Sherwood Forest to thank (or blame, depending on your viewpoint) for a possible outing of Aussie thespo Russell Crowe as legendary US comedian Bill Hicks.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, filming on Crowe's latest project Nottingham has been postponed until at least March next year "because director Sir Ridley Scott wanted the leaves on the trees in England's Sherwood Forest to be the right colour".

Crowe has therefore opted to spend some quality time with his family in Oz while "working on other projects". He said: "I have another project based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks, which is going from treatment to draft stage with Kiwi writer Mark Staufer."

Hicks died of cancer in 1994 at the age of just 32, but not before firing off some memorable insights. It remains to be seen how Crowe handles this classic: "A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. You think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a fucking cross? It's like going up to Jackie Onassis wearing a rifle pendant." ®

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