- Tatum and Ruffalo trained for 6 months to play wrestlers. In one scene, Tatum insisted that the latter "slap" himself hard, but Ruffalo slapped him and caused his eardrum to rupture.
- Steve Carell spent a lot of time studying images and materials left by DuPont and reading text about him. When talking about why Carell was chosen as a "comedian", Miller said, "I think all comedians are very dark."
- In addition to filming, Tatum and Ruffalo also conduct intense wrestling training every day. After finishing the last training session, according to Tatum, he and Ruffalo both cried because they were so tired.
- In the film, Carrell wears a fake nose, and every time he plays a role, he takes 2 hours to put on makeup, including hairstyle and skin color change.
- It took many years of preparation for the film to start shooting. Before that, Heath Ledger, Ryan Gosling and Bill Nye were very expected to play the protagonists in the film.
- The first cut version of the movie lasted more than 4 hours.
- The character prototype of the film is the Schultz brothers. They are the only brother athletes in the history of the United States who have won both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
- Many scenes in the film have been freely played by the actors, such as the dialogue between Karel and Tatum in the helicopter, and Tatum smashed the mirror with his hand, which is not in the script.
- David Schultz's widow gave Ruffalo her husband's previous glasses, which are also those worn by Ruffalo in the film.
- Mark Schultz's attitude towards the film took a 180-degree turn. From the beginning he supported the film and later expressed his "deep dislike" for it, claiming that the film's distorted portrayal was detrimental to his image.
- Soon after the movie was released, Mark Schultz released his memoir called "A True Story About Me and My Brother, John DuPont's Crazy and Longing for the Olympic Gold Medal".
Foxcatcher behind the scenes gags
2021-11-29 08:01
Extended Reading
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[first lines]
Mark Schultz: [Mark gives a speech to a school of young students] Hello. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you today. My name is Mark Schultz. I wanna talk about America, and I wanna tell you why I wrestle.
[Mark holds up his Olympic gold metal to the kids]
Mark Schultz: This is an Olympic gold metal. I won this three years ago at the 23rd Olympic games in Los Angeles, California. This is more than just some piece of metal. It's about what the metal represents. The virtues it requires to attain it.
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[Mark's first meeting with John du Pont]
John du Pont: You look good. You look strong. Fit.
Mark Schultz: Thank you, sir.
John du Pont: Feeling confident?
[Mark nods yes]
John du Pont: That's one of the most important elements of entering a match is feeling the confidence, knowing that you're going to win. Feeling it inside. If you get - go to a match knowing you're going to win that match, odds are you're going to win that match. You're training with your brother Dave?
Mark Schultz: Yes, sir.
John du Pont: Great Dave Schultz?
Mark Schultz: Yeah.
John du Pont: And I'm talking to the great Mark Schultz. Do you have any idea why I asked you to come here?
Mark Schultz: No.
John du Pont: No. Well, Mark, do you - do you have any idea who I am?
Mark Schultz: No. No.
John du Pont: Some rich guy calls you on the phone. I want the great Mark Schultz to come visit me. Well, I'm a - I'm a wrestling coach. And I have a deep love of the sport of wrestling. And I wanted to speak with you about your future. About what you hope to achieve. What do you hope to achieve, Mark?
Mark Schultz: Well, I wanna be the best in the world. I wanna go to the Worlds and win gold. I wanna go to the '88 Olympics and win gold.
John du Pont: Good. I'm proud of you. Are you getting the support that you need?
Mark Schultz: What do you mean, sir?
John du Pont: Well, you know how the soviets support their wrestlers.
Mark Schultz: I do.
John du Pont: Mark, we as a nation have failed to honor you. And that's a problem. Not just for you, but for our society. When we fail to honor that which should be honored, it's a problem. It's a canary in a coal mine. Do you bird-watch?
Mark Schultz: Uh, no.
John du Pont: You can learn a lot from birds. I'm an ornithologist. But more importantly, I am a patriot. And I want to see this country soar again.
Mark Schultz: I want that too.
John du Pont: I can see that.