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Kurt Russell is taking a trip down memory lane and recalling how he went from kicking Elvis Presley to becoming him.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Russell recalled his role in the 1963 movie, “It Happened at the World’s Fair,” where his only job was to kick Presley on-screen.
“My role was to kick Elvis in the shin so a girl he liked would take pity on him,” Russell told the outlet. The star noted that the King of Pop took precautions to ensure that Russell’s kick did not injure his shin.
Kurt Russell kicked Elvis Presley as a child star in “It Happened at the World’s Fair.” (Getty Images/Alamy)
“Elvis put a shin pad under his pants leg, and I took a couple of practice shots—until he was sure I wouldn’t miss and injure him,” Russell shared.
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On March 12, Russell was a guest on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and said that Presley paid his character in the movie 50 cents to kick him in the shin and get the attention of a nurse he was interested in.
“Elvis put a shin pad under his pants leg, and I took a couple of practice shots—until he was sure I wouldn’t miss and injure him.”
“He had a pad on him, and everyone was a little bit worried about it,” Russell began. “And I had shoes, not sneakers. And I did it about 10 times and Elvis goes, ‘I think he got it. I’m not worried about that.'”
“It Happened At The World’s Fair” poster of the 1963 movie. (LMPC via Getty Images)
“This is how cool Elvis Presley was. We were back in Los Angeles shooting, and my dad comes on the set with me, and I see Elvis looking over, really looking over. And he says, ‘Is that your dad? Is that your father over there?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he said, ‘Oh, can I meet him?’ And I said, ‘Ok, sure,'” Russell said.
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“‘Dad, this is Elvis Presley. He’d like to meet you,'” Russell continued. “He said, ‘Mr. Russell. I love the way you wear your hat in all the cowboy movies you do. If I ever do a cowboy movie, would it be okay if I wore my hat that way?’ That’s how cool of a guy he was.”
Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley promotional photo for the ABC TV movie “Elvis.” (American Broadcasting Companies via Getty Images)
“It Happened at the World’s Fair” launched Russell’s acting career at just 12 years old. In 1979, Russell took on his “career turning point role” in the TV movie “Elvis.” He told the WSJ that he “went from kicking him to being him.”
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Presley was 27 in “It Happened at the World’s Fair” and Russell was 27 when he played Elvis in the TV movie.
Elvis Presley playing a guitar. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
After taking on a few roles as a child star, Russell was able to successfully transition to an adult actor and land major roles in cult classics like “Escape from New York,” “The Thing,” and “Big Trouble in Little China.”
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Now, Russell is starring in Taylor Sheridan’s “The Madison” alongside Michelle Pfeiffer.
(L-R) Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn and Kurt Russell as Preston Clyburn in the Paramount+ series “The Madison.” (Chris Saunders/Paramount+)
A press release for the series says “The Madison” is “a profound love story channeled through a deeply personal family drama about resilience and transformation.” It also mentioned that this is Taylor Sheridan’s “most intimate work to date.”
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The series unfolds “across two distinct worlds — the beautiful landscape of Montana and the vibrant energy of Manhattan — as it examines the ties that bind families together,” the release stated.
The first season of “The Madison” consists of six episodes and premiered on Paramount+ March 14.