In the dynamic world of action-packed Hollywood films, few have managed to leave a mark as indelible as Kurt Russell. From his iconic turn as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York to his epic action sequences as Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, Russell has been an influential figure in the action scene of earlier decades.
Known to be judicious with his film choices, Russell had infamously turned down Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, citing ensemble films as not his cup of tea. The actor countered on his own words when he joined the Fast and Furious franchise. His rationale behind these decisions is a bit strange.
Kurt Russell On Preferring the Fast Franchise Over The Expendables
Kurt Russell once revealed that doing The Expendables felt a bit going backward to him. And the variation between the targeted audience of the franchises’ also influenced Russell’s decision. As he told IGN:
“Yeah. I mean, I’m glad Sly’s done well with this. He’s a great person. The fellas all seem to have a good time. I’ve never seen any of them. It’s not a beat I get. It’s like looking backwards to me.”
Speaking about Fast and Furious, Russell further added:
“I like the way Vin talks about it — it’s a saga. It’s not a series, it’s a saga. I think that Paul dying is a part of that saga.”
He claimed that the fact that the film series is for a “funny” audience. He said that the fact that the film’s target audience is between the age group of 15 to 30, but can be expanded to 45 is interesting to him.
Kurt Russell Turned Down Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables
The Expendables franchise is essentially a get-together of action stars from the earlier decades of Hollywood. Sylvester Stallone’s ambitious project managed to bring a slice of nostalgia and excitement by bringing together stars like Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and Mickey Rourke among several others.
The list of greats in the action genre cannot be completed without Kurt Russell’s name on it. But he was one of the few who chose not to be part of Stallone’s films. Initially, the reason he gave for his refusal was that he was not keen on working in an ensemble cast (via Slash Film). Saying he’s
“not interested in ‘ensemble acting’ at this time.“
Read More: Kurt Russell’s UFO Story: Did the Marvel Star Really Report an Alien Spaceship?
Not long after, the Tombstone star took up the role of Mr. Nobody in the Fast franchise, which has an ensemble cast as one of its building blocks. Furthermore, Russell felt doing something like The Expendables is a bit “backwards”. He clearly did not have any qualms with an ensemble cast when it came to joining the Fast franchise.
Watch the Fast and Furious franchise on Prime Video and The Expendables on Max.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Kurt Russell turn down a role in The Expendables?
Russell has said joining The Expendables felt like a step backward for him, given the ensemble cast of earlier-generation action stars like Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, and Mickey Rourke. He told IGN it felt like looking backwards, and at the time he said ensemble acting wasn’t something that interested him.
Why did Kurt Russell agree to join the Fast and Furious franchise instead?
Despite turning down The Expendables partly over ensemble casting, Russell later joined the Fast and Furious franchise as Mr. Nobody. He explained he liked how co-star Vin Diesel described the franchise as a saga rather than just a series, and he found the broad age range of its audience, spanning teens to adults, appealing.
In which Fast and Furious films does Kurt Russell appear?
Kurt Russell plays Mr. Nobody across three entries in the Fast and Furious franchise: Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, and F9, appearing in the series between 2015 and 2021. The character serves as a government operative who recruits the core team for high-stakes missions in each of those films.
