TORONTO – Actor Russel’s Crowe’s latest project – a musical collaboration with Zucchero – might seem a little out of left field to those who haven’t followed his musical tour of Italy. Crowe, known famously for playing Maximus in Gladiator (2000), performs in a musical band called “Indoor Garden Party”. The band has toured throughout Italy, including Rome where he played at the Teatro Romano in Cinecittà Studios. He’s also turned up in Catanzaro, Taranto, Spezia and Bologna.
The Gladiator star even surprised fans when he revealed he has Italian ancestry through a distant relative – his great great great grandfather who emigrated from Ascoli Piceno (in Marche) to New Zealand. “I’ve always had a fascination for Italy”, said Crowe. “As an adult I have tried to return to this link that started with Gladiator, until I discovered I had ancestors from Italy on my mother’s side”. The town of Ascoli Piceno has since declared it would make Crowe an honorary citizen.
And while the Oscar winning actor was in Rome for the city’s festival in 2022 – promoting his film Poker Face – Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri seized the moment to anoint him “Ambassador of Rome to the World”. During the visit to city hall, which sits on Capitoline Hill, Crowe and the Mayor stepped out onto the balcony that overlooks the Ancient Roman Forum. Speaking in his best Italian, as if delivering a movie line, Crowe proclaimed: “I am always at the service of Rome.”
And now, the General who became a slave and defied an Emperor, is singing a duet with an Italian musical legend Zucchero. The song: a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe”. Pearl Jam of course came to prominence in the 90s as an alternative rock band. But of the song “Just Breathe”, lead Singer Eddie Vedder has said that it’s “the closest Pearl Jam ever got to recording a love song”.
The sentiment was echoed by Zucchero who says the song deeply resonated with him and that, “It’s one of those Pearl Jam songs that hits you right in the heart”. The song is about living for today and counting your blessings. On Pearl Jam’s Italian site Zucchero is quoted saying, “I’ve always been a fan of Crowe as an actor…now maybe a little bit as a singer too”.
The collaboration all started when the two met in Tuscany in 2024 at an Andrea Bocelli concert. Zucchero then met Russel again after watching one of his shows in Italy. Crowe explains: “Backstage over a Guinness, he asked if I’d have any interest in doing a duet with him. I was enthusiastic about the idea”. If you’re as enthusiastic as Crowe to hear how it went, check out the music video on YouTube.
(Images courtesy of Zucchero’s Facebook Page)
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
