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10 Facts About Cary Elwes That Will Make You Go "Inconceivable!"
Whether it's charming movie-goers as Westley in The Princess Bride, making us laugh as Robin Hood, or adding a sinister edge to something like The X-Files, Cary Elwes is a hell of an actor. We've been massive fans of his since the 80s, and we're sure you are too, but we also bet there's a few things about the man that you didn't know!
He's a history fan, hence all of the period piece movies
"I like historical pieces. History was my favorite subject in school, it was the only subject I excelled in. I love the idea of history and the idea that we may have the opportunity to learn from our past mistakes."
He's a huge activist
He campaigns actively to protect the environment and to help the Native American people.
He comes from a family of prolific Catholics
He has several family members in high-ranking places in the church. He actually met Jope John Paul II when he was 22!
He met Marlon Brando early in his career
Elwes was a production assistant on Superman. Brando insisted on calling him "Rocky" after boxer Rocky Marciano, one of the greatest boxers of all time.
His time in The Princess Bride made for some especially interesting stories...
He was genuinely smitten with Robin Wright while filming The Princess Bride
He said he "couldn't concentrate on much of anything after that first encounter with Robin." They also kept coming up with excuses to re-film their final kiss.
He and Mandy Patinkin spent a LOT of time practicing their sword fighting
They practiced their duel for hours while on set; essentially spending all of their free time on it when they weren't actively shooting.
He was hired for The Princess Bride based on his "Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn quality"
Both actors were well-known for playing Robin Hood, which Elwes would go on to do in Robin Hood: Men In Tights.
He also took a pretty serious hit to the head during the movie
He told Christopher Guest to really hit him when Count Rugen hits Westley over the head. Guest hit him so hard Elwes passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital.
He couldn't actually sing in Robin Hood: Men In Tights
All of his singing was really done by Arthur Rubin.
People really like his performance in Liar Liar
He claims that people still come up to him and ask him to do his version of "the claw."