TombstoneandStargateproved so unpleasant for Kurt Russell that he seriously considered stepping away from acting - until an acclaimed actor changed his mind. Even among the greatKurt Russell Westernsin existence,Tombstonestands proud. This all-star 1993 Western has one of the best casts ever assembled, fantastic dialogue and rousing action.
It had a messy production though, with the original director Kevin Jarre (who also penned the screenplay) being fired a month into production for working too slow. It is said thatRussell ghostdirected much ofTombstonehimself, and in his role as producer, was instrumental in keeping it on track.
It was worth it, asTombstoneis now recognized as one of the best Westerns ever made. Russell has stated many times what an intense production it was, and it likely didn’t help that after it wrapped he went right into filming Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi blockbusterStargate.
Kurt Russell Seriously Considered Retirement Following Tombstone And Stargate
Russell made his screen debut kicking Elvisin 1963’sIt Happened at the World’s Fair, and had been in the business for decades when he frontedTombstone. While he made his living as an actor, it wasn’t his first passion.Russell wanted to become a baseball player until a shoulder injury ruled that out.
Between the drama of keepingTombstoneon the rails as both producer and ghost director and moving into another big project likeStargate, Russell began to reconsider his future on the big screen. In a 2023 chat withRolling Stone,Russell admitted he was feeling “done” with the business around this time.
There are times when you think, “I’m done,” but then something comes along. I’ll never forget it, because it was an odd thing. I’d just finished doing Tombstone, which was a rough ride. Really tough. And I had a job immediately after that. So, three weeks later, we were down in Buttercup Valley doing Stargate. It was very different, and we had no idea it was going to be successful. After that I was like, man, maybe I’m done.
In addition to filmingStargate, Russell still had to deal withTombstone’spost-production, too. Of course, both movies turned out to be hits in 1993 and 1994 respectively, so unpleasant as they may have been, that must have helped convince Russell to keep going.
It’s not like Russell elected to do smaller or easier projects in the aftermath, either, with his follow-ups including the “Die Hard on a Plane” thrillerExecutive Decisionand belated sequelEscape from L.A.Still,after living his entire adult life as an actor, it’s not a huge surprise Russell took a moment of self-reflection.
The Stress Of Tombstone Took A Toll On Kurt Russell
Tombstonehad to face off against Kevin Costner’sWyatt Earptoo, a far more expensive rival production. Costner was originally attached toTombstonebefore deciding to develop a movie that focused on Earp’s entire life. In the aftermath of his exit, Costner made sure to hurtTombstone’sdevelopment as much as possible.
This included warning studios against distributing it, lest Costner refuse to work with them. Since Costner was such a huge name at that time, every studio but Disney complied. That was Russell’s first hurdle to gettingTombstoneproduced, with the star also helping set up financing for it.
Once Jarre was dropped, it was up to Russell to hire his replacement George P. Cosmatos, in addition to tearing pages from the script to keep it on time and budget.Russell also had to reduce Wyatt Earp to an “aura” role, where instead of being a fleshed-out character, he’s more of a mystic figure.
Of course, Russell had originally signed on forTombstone becauseit offered such a meaty dramatic role.Russell thus sacrificed his part to boost the roles of his co-stars, while basically co-directing it from behind the scenes alongside Cosmatos. Russell later toldTrue West Magazinethat the production took a real toll.
And it was the hardest work of my life. Tombstone was so painful. Tombstone was so tough, you know what I mean? It was just so painful; it was hard physically to do—I got four hours sleep every night.
Russell also revealed he wasn’t as involved inTombstone’sediting as he would have liked, and laments the film wasn’t quite the “Godfather of Westerns” as it was first envisioned. Still,Russell’s Western easily beat Costner’sWyatt Earpand has more than stood the test of time.
Laurence Fishburne Convinced Kurt Russell Not To Quit
Despite the fact that Russell and Laurence Fishburne have yet to collaborate, the former revealed toRolling Stoneit wasThe Matrixstar who convinced him not to quit. Russell recalled meeting with Fishburne sometime afterStargatewrapped, and telling him he felt done as an actor.
And I ran into Larry Fishburne, who I didn’t know but is someone I’ve always appreciated. I was like, “I think I’m out, man.” And he was like, “Oh, you can’t do that. You’ve got a lot more to do, and a lot more to give. You can’t talk like that.” He spoke with this sense of honesty, and it was just from one actor to another, and it was a strange thing. He probably doesn’t know how influential he was in me continuing on. I always appreciated it and remember it from time to time.
It should be noted thatwhile Russell is still acting to this day, he has taken some extended breaks. The first was after the failure of hisBlade Runner"sidequel"Soldier,where he didn’t act in another film for three years, which was 2001’s3000 Miles to Graceland.
3000 Miles to Gracelandis especially notable for pairing dueling Wyatt Earp actors Russell and Kevin Costner for the first and only time.
After starring in Quentin Tarantino’s exploitation homageDeath Proofin 2007, Russell took more time off to focus on his GoGi wine. He seems more selective in his choices in the last decade, too, which has yielded some greats like horror WesternBone Tomahawkand a cameo inOnce Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
The Pain Of Tombstone Was Worth It For Russell
While speaking withTrue Westabout how miserableTombstonewas to work on, Russell also added, “And I’m so happy that we got it made.“For the last 30 years, Russell has been able to see how much people adore the movieand quote from it constantly. He also believes the incredible dialogue is a key reason it has lingered.
It may have been so overwhelming that it nearly pushed him to leave the industry, but Russell has nothing but love for the end product ofTombstone. That doesn’t mean it’s an experience he’d want to relive, but he knows the pain was worth it.
