Russell Crowe plays Father Gabriele Amorth in new horror movie.
Crowe is, however, playing a real person, Father Gabriele Amorth.
“What attracted me to this piece was the character himself,” says Crowe.
Russell Crowe in ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ and the real Father Gabriele Amorth.Jonathan Hession/Sony; GIULIO NAPOLITANO/AFP via Getty Images
“I was intrigued with the job title: Chief Exorcist for the Vatican.
I was sure some Hollywood screenwriter had come up with a snappy title.
When I looked into it, I realized it was a real thing.
Father Gabriele Amorth.Vandeville Eric/ABACA/Shutterstock
Then, looking deeper again, I just found him fascinating.
He wears red socks under his cassock and he has a Ferrari sticker on his Lambretta motor scooter.
He comes out of his war years, completes law school, and ends up working as a journalist.
Amorth routinely told those asking for an exorcism that they should first explore medicinal or psychiatric treatments.
But Crowe insists, much as Amorth did, that there is genuine evil abroad in the world.
It does make you fundamentally wonder where that source is from.
Have I been in situations where I’ve experienced things that are just inexplicable?
Yeah, I actually have.
Yeah, I have.
So I stay open to those sort of things.
Because, you know, anything’s possible.”
The Pope’s Exorcisthits theaters April 14.
Watch the film’s trailer above.
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