Troy remains one of the most ambitious films of all time. It helped launch the careers of some of Hollywood’s brightest young stars and solidified Brad Pitt and Eric Bana as movie stars.
Below are 10+ behind the scenes secrets behind the making of Troy that fans didn’t know. These little known facts add an entirely new level of appreciation for the film.
*Troy* is one of the most iconic movies of all time, even though it’s not well received by all.
Sometimes people just want to see a fun action movie where they don’t have to think too much!
But there are still a lot of things that fans don’t know about the movie! So that’s why we are here! Let’s get into it.
1. Garret Hedlund had only been in L.A. for one month before being offered the role of Patroclus.
It was Garrett’s first starring role !
Can you imagine landing a movie with Brad Pitt and Eric Bana for your film debut?! Talk about a dream come true!
2. Brad Pitt packed on some serious muscle for the role.
Before filming began, Brad was walking around at around 160 lbs.
He had to tack on 25 lbs of pure muscle over the course of six months in order to get his body into the shape of a Greek god.
3. A hurricane decimated the set and caused heavy delays.
“The hurricane destroyed the entire thing,” director Wolfgang Petersen said during an interview.
“These huge tents where all these costumes were in and props and all that, it all just disappeared—basically flew into the air.”
4. The film had to go to serious lengths in order to protect indigenous wildlife.
While they were filming on location in Mexico, measures were taken to help protect the turtle population of the region.
The crew had to hire two on-set biologists to ensure that no eggs were damaged while the beach scenes were filmed.
5. Sean Bean was totally starstruck by Peter O’Toole.
“The first time I met him on the set, he was in a robe with a cigarette holder and he said: ‘Sean, how are you, dear boy ?’ He was just how I imagined him to be.”
6. Brad Pitt actually tore his Achilles tendon while filming.
“It’s just wear and tear and all the jumping and fighting in that sand,” Brad recalled.
“It was near the very end and we’d been shooting and training for months at that point and it just said, ‘I’m done. I need a rest.'”
7. The heat was unbearable at times.
Apollo was merciless while the crew began filming. During one of the major fight scenes in the film, a number of actors collapsed and fainted from heat exhaustion.
Many of whom were trained, Bulgarian athletes.
8. Peter O’Toole walked out of the film!
O’Toole called the movie “a disaster” and had some choice words for director Wolfgang Petersen as well, referring to him as “a clown.”
“When it was all over, I watched 15 minutes of the finished movie and then walked out. At least I had one good scene.”
9. There’s a reference to *The Odyssey*.
The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus’ long journey back to Ithica after the Trojan War .
In the epic poem, Odysseus is the last Greek to return home after more than ten years away.
When the Greeks first land on the beaches of Troy, there’s a line of dialogue that calls attention to this point.
Achilles jokes with Odysseus about how he’s the last Greek to show up. To which Odysseus replies how he doesn’t mind missing the beginning, so long as he’s there for the end.
It’s a subtle nod for sure, but impossible to ignore.
10. The Trojan horse designed for the film was gifted to the Turkish government when filming wrapped.
The prop was placed along the boardwalk in a small city called Canakkale .
Canakkale is only about an hour’s drive from the site of the Troy ruins and is the main hub for tourists who are visiting.
There’s a *Game Of Thrones* connection you more than likely missed.
The movie Troy was actually written by Game of Thrones co-creator, David Benioff . Four of the lead actors from Troy would eventually go on to appear in Game of Thrones .
They are Sean Bean, James Cosmo, Julian Glover, and Mark Lewis Jones.
11. Peter O’Toole was kind of a jerk to work with.
Diane Kruger was once asked in an interview who the meanest actor she ever worked with was. She replied without hesitation, “Peter O’Toole.”
Diane went on to say that the whole situation “kind of sucked . He’s dead, so I can say that. But he wasn’t the most pleasant person.”
When pressed for more information, Diane actually accused O’Toole of being a drunk!
“He was just a drunk, and Peter O’Toole. You know, he had a two-day part, and I played Helen of Troy and he was Peter O’Toole and he just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that he was Peter O’Toole.”
12. No stunt doubles were used for the duel between Achilles and Hector.
Eric Bana and Brad Pitt instead had a gentleman’s agreement . For each accidental hit, they assigned a dollar value: $50 for a light blow and $100 for a heavy hit.
When all was said and done, Brad ended up paying Eric $750 dollars!
13. Christopher Nolan was offered the director’s job.
But he turned it down because he “wasn’t feeling it.”
While he went on to have an insanely successful career, one has to wonder if he regrets it since the movie became a classic!
14. A nod to *Aeneid* written by Virgil.
Toward the end of the movie, Paris hands the Sword of Troy to a man named Aeneas, and tells him that as long as the sword is held by a Trojan, their people will always have a home.
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To casual viewers, they might not have understood the significance of this moment.
According to one of Italy’s origin stories, Rome was founded by Aeneas after he left Troy.
Thus, Rome would belong first to the Trojans. And we all know that Rome ended up becoming one of the most powerful empires the world had ever seen, and would have power over Greece.
15. Archery has a more important role than you think.
In Homer’s time, archers were not always revered amongst the military or common folk.
Those who were at the front lines of the war were always considered the most heroic and brave for being in open battle.
So it is incredibly significant that Paris, who is weaker than Hector, is the one to kill Achilles.
Paris, an archer, is able to take down Achilles who is known to be the best fighter of all, and who was never beaten in a duel on the field.
Do you know any more fun facts or secrets about the movie *Troy*?
Or were you pleasantly surprised to learn about these interesting facts about the movie?
Either way, let us know below in the comments! We would love to hear from you!
