Weir says Crowe was born to play Lucky Jack. "Russell has a natural energy and authority, and he took command of that ship from the beginning."
Crowe appreciated some of the perks of "command." "Every day between my trailer and the set, I would hear ‘Good morning, Captain’ about seventy or eighty times," says the actor. "Actually, it was difficult giving up the uniform; I’d grown quite fond of it."
Crowe was pleased to rejoin Paul Bettany who played, memorably, Crowe’s imaginary roommate in A Beautiful Mind. Their collaboration in film proved invaluable in helping the actors create their characters’ relationship in MASTER AND COMMANDER. Says Crowe: "We developed a kind of creative shorthand in A Beautiful Mind that I thought would serve us well in establishing quickly and effectively the Jack-Stephen dynamic. I was so glad that Peter made the decision to cast Paul. There are rhythms and things that we just understand of each other. With another person, you might actually have had to break down a scene and explain it. Paul and I were able to get to a point of depth that you might have to work ten times harder with somebody else to even touch on."
"It was a joy to watch Paul take the character and make it his own, yet at the same time have it deeply rooted in Patrick O’Brian’s writing," says Weir. "Russell and Paul are beautifully weighted opposite each other, and you believe they’re friends. It’s as if Maturin, as Paul plays him, is the shape of the modern man and Russell as Jack is from a bygone time."
Bettany says two elements attracted him to MASTER AND COMMANDER: action and characters. "Any fan of Patrick O’Brian’s books knows them to be real page turners," says Bettany, "and I see the film as an action movie within which is a richly detailed friendship that endures some life-altering situations. I found that really intriguing."
A critical point in the friendship between Bettany’s Stephen Maturin and Crowe’s Lucky Jack comes after a surprise attack by the Acheron that leaves Captain Aubrey’s ship severely damaged and a number of his men dead or critically wounded. Despite (or perhaps spurred on by) the odds against him, Jack is more determined than ever to complete his mission to best the Acheron. His single-minded focus on the enemy ship becomes a concern for Stephen.
"Stephen studies people the way he studies animals; he certainly studies Jack," says Bettany. "I think what Stephen finds intriguing about Jack is that he is the exception to the rule that ‘power corrupts’ – Jack wields his power wisely. But that is really tested in this film. Stephen begins to think that Jack’s goal of catching the Acheron is turning into an obsession, which could be a detriment to his crew."
To fill the supporting roles, Weir worked closely with U.K. casting director Mary Selway. They searched for top acting talent who had the necessary endurance for the demanding six-month shoot and a physical appearance that suggested another time and place. The formidable lineup of actors includes Billy Boyd (of Lord of the Rings fame), James D’Arcy, Bryan Dick, Lee Ingleby, George Innes, Mark Lewis Jones, Chris Larkin, Richard McCabe, Ian Mercer, Robert Pugh and David Threlfall.
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