As many people already know, Russell Crowe (perhaps one of the best actors on the planet… yet also one of the biggest jerks) was recently replaced on the much publicized, yet still untitled Baz Laurmann flick in which he was going to star along side of Nicole Kidman. What I didn’t know is WHY Crowe left the production. But thanks to the good folks at the New York Post... we know now!

The hot-tempered Oscar winner demanded script approval for the love story with Nicole Kidman set in the Australian outback prior to the Japanese bombardment of Darwin in 1942. The producers told Luhrmann to find another actor, and the director met several times with fellow Aussie Ledger. “Baz liked him and offered him the movie,” said one source. “Then Crowe came back to Luhrmann and said he’d forego script approval and wanted to do the movie, but they told him it was too late - to buzz off.”

Ok, let me first re-state this. Russell Crowe is one of the best actors alive (I’ll go so far as to say the man’s pure range, raw emotion and power make him the BEST actor alive).

Now, having said that… I’m glad he got his ass kicked off the movie!!!! I HATE IT when actors try to pull shit like that! Why the hell should he have script approval?!?! He’s a frigging ACTOR! Three cheers for the studio not taking his crap and booting his ass!

As a side note, this is basically the same thing Chris Tucker wanted for Rush Hour 3. The studio SHOULD have booted his ass and replaced him with Heath Ledger too! LOL Thanks to CrzyDJM for the heads up.