In the midst of the Counting Crows gaining notoriety as an international success, lead singer/founding member, Adam Duritz had a brief stint in acting. He spoke with Audacy's own Kevan Kenney in an exclusive interview to discuss the role he may regret not pursuing, new music and much more.
Kenney asked if there was anything Duritz passed on, but would look back on with a sting of regret. Immediately, the GRAMMY-nominated singer replied, "I got so frustrated with how Harvey Weinstein was treating Sean Penn when we were working on The Crossing Guard that I pulled 'Miller's Angels' off of the movie." The 1996 song was written specifically for that movie.
He also revealed that while he doesn't "regret saying no" to this particular role, in hindsight, it's kind of a funny story. Duritz also almost starred in the 1997 action film, Face/Off, which did star Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.
"After our first or second album, me as a character was really in people's minds," Duritz expressed. "They came to me and asked me to audition for [the character of Pollux Troy]." Director John Woo ended up casting Alessandro Nivola in the role. "[But] it'd been like me and [Nicolas] Cage instead, because it's like the Robin to his Batman in that movie," Duritz explained.
"I used to be an actor when I was younger— before all this and I don't like it at all. I don't wanna be told what to do; I like being in charge. I like the music," he revealed. "And so, I didn't really want to do it again. But it was really tempting for a second because it was really flattering. Like this is gonna be a huge movie and they're talking to me like it's a real possibility that I could have this role [...] I was like 'you know, I don't really wanna to do that.'"
Duritz also revealed that he doesn't regret saying no because he believes, "I don't think I would've been very good." He continued, "I didn't need more time in the spotlight, at that moment [...] the last thing I need is to see myself in a movie. F*** that." For more tea from the Counting Crows' head huncho, watch the full interview above.
