Russell Crowe dishes on mega pay cheque from latest movie, The Pope’s Exorcist

The Australian actor has been in showbiz for decades now – and he’s lifted the lid on what he did to ensure he was paid handsomely for his latest film.

Russell Crowe has opened up about his pay deal for his latest movie, The Pope’s Exorcist.

The US supernatural horror, which is currently showing in theatres, comes in as the Australian actor’s 70th acting credit, so it’s fair to assume the Oscar-winning blockbuster star knows his way around contract negotiations.

Speaking on 2DayFM’s Hughesy, Ed and Erin on Thursday, Crowe, 59, was asked point-blank how much he was paid for the Sony Pictures flick, which was made on a budget of $US18 million ($A27 million) and has so far clocked an impressive $US54 million ($A82 million) at the global box office.

While he refrained from sharing the exact dollar figure, Crowe assured he was thrilled with the sum.

“From a financial perspective, if you want specifics, I was amply taken care of,” Crowe said. “And if you want even deeper specifics on the ongoing, there is a kiss at every turn,” Crowe added, seemingly confirming his contract stated he would make a percentage of the film’s profit.

Russell Crowe has revealed details about his pay for The Pope's Exorcist.

When asked by Erin Molan if the kiss [ongoing profit] was a “peck or an open-mouth snog”, Crowe offered a rather explicit alternative.

“There’s other people you share it with but certainly … It’s more like group sex,” he laughed. “It’s Hollywood, of course it’s an orgy.”

With a career that began in the ’70s, before exploding in the ’90s and early 2000s, Crowe said he’s learned to ensure he’s paid handsomely for what he brings to the table.

“I’ve been in the business a long, long time, and one of the things I’ve always made sure of is, because I know the type of commitment I give to something, I like to get paid to work,” he said.

Crowe assured he knows how to get a fair contract for himself. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images for AFI

The Pope’s Exorcist was directed by Australian filmmaker Julius Avery, and was shot in Ireland and Rome last year.

It follows Father Gabriele Amorth (Crowe), a personal exorcist to the Pope who visits an Italian village where a man is possessed by a demon.

The film is based on the 1990 book An Exorcist Tells His Story, which is based on Amorth, a real-life figure who was the Pope’s exorcist in the ’80s, who claimed to have conducted more than 60,000 exorcisms.

Crowe added of the film’s building success, “I’m glad people are responding to it, but I really like the way they’re responding to it, the elements they’re responding to.

“They seem to have fallen in love with the character. I was having a lot of fun playing that character, but you never know in that little box whether people will get it, or if you’ll just look like an idiot.”

The Pope’s Exorcist is in cinemas now

Originally published as Russell Crowe dishes on mega pay cheque from latest movie, The Pope’s Exorcist