E! correspondent recalls very nasty red carpet encounter

Mar 21, 2014 08:38 GMT  ·  By
Giuliana Rancic says “mean” Russell Crowe was absolutely awful to her during red carpet interview
   Giuliana Rancic says “mean” Russell Crowe was absolutely awful to her during red carpet interview

Russell Crowe is neither the most friendly celebrity nor the most willing to help an interviewer out, as countless reports throughout the years have made it clear. As Giuliana Rancic puts it, he’s definitely mean, for which reason he’s her number 1 most awkward interview ever.

Asked by Andy Cohen on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live which was the red carpet interview she still shudders to think of, Rancic says that meeting Crowe definitely takes the crown.

It happened about one year after she joined the E! team, at the premiere of one of Crowe’s movies. She already knew he had a reputation of being “tough,” so she wanted to go “easy” with him, just to be on the safe side.

“[He] was so mean to me,” Giuliana recalls. “I said, ‘Are you excited to be here tonight? Your big movie premiere?’ And he goes, ‘I’m contractually obligated to be here. What’s your next question?’ And I go ‘Um, isn’t it wonderful seeing all the fans?’ And he goes, ‘That’s your second question? 1, 2, you’re through!’ And walked away.”

At least Crowe didn’t throw a phone in Giuliana’s face like he did on another, highly mediated run-in with a member of the press.

Then again, he does have a reputation for being one the grumpiest actors in showbiz. Still, I can’t help but wonder: he was at the premiere because the studio told him to be there, but why do the media rounds if he was definitely not in the mood for it? Wouldn’t he have been better off just posing on the red carpet and then skipping the interviews?