Kurt Russell recalls on Radio X kicking Elvis Presley in first film role
Hollywood star Kurt Russell has revealed his acting career began with an unusual task involving Elvis Presley.
He appeared on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning alongside his son Wyatt Russell, speaking to presenter Toby Tarrant, who was sitting in for Chris.
During the interview, the acting legend reflected on his first ever film appearance in It Happened at the World’s Fair, where he shared a scene with music icon Elvis Presley at just ten years old.
Kurt explained that his credited role involved repeatedly kicking Presley’s character as part of the storyline.
“That was the first movie I ever did,” he said. “Boy kicking Mike, who was being played by Elvis Presley.”
He told the show that Presley’s character wanted sympathy from a nurse in the film and arranged for the young actor’s character to rough him up slightly to make the injury look convincing.
“He paid the kid a quarter or fifty cents or something to kick him and bruise him up a little bit,” Russell recalled, prompting laughter in the studio from Toby and Dominic Byrne.
Tarrant joked that kicking Presley so early in his career was an achievement few actors could claim, adding that he himself had never had the opportunity!
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Tune into The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X weekdays from 6:30am – 10am and on Global Player.