Kurt Russell claims Michelle Pfeiffer had a tense relationship with Tequila Sunrise director Robert Towne on set.
“To be honest, there were difficulties between Michelle and[Robert],” the 75-year-old actor told People at an FYC event for his and Pfeiffer’s Paramount+ series “The Madison.”
“I was a bit of a go-between, so to speak,” he continued, noting that “because of that,” he and Ms. Pfeiffer, 68, “have a strong relationship.”
“We had a great time working together,” Russell added.
Page Six has reached out to Pfeiffer’s representatives for comment.
This 1988 film, written and directed by Towne, depicts two childhood friends, played by Russell and Mel Gibson, who become embroiled in a tense love triangle with a posh restaurateur played by Pfeiffer.
Towne is best known for writing 1974’s “Chinatown,” which won an Oscar for best screenplay, and its sequel, 1990’s “The Two Jakes.” He passed away in July 2024 at the age of 89.
Russell also told People that Pfeiffer’s character Jo Ann Valenari in Tequila Sunrise was the “glue” in it all.
“Michelle was on her way to becoming a major player, she was a rising star, all of those things,” Russell recalled. “But I felt like she was really, really perfect for the role.”
Pfeiffer told the magazine that she “fell in love” with Russell the first time they met, and that Russell “showed up to support” her “every day.”
“That’s who he is,” the “Batman Returns” star said. “Whenever I had a tough day or something, I always went to Kurt and he helped me get through it.”
Pfeiffer previously told Variety that Russell was a “comrade in arms” when they were making “Tequila Sunrise.”
“He was my protector, my confidant, and my court jester,” she explained in March. “He was always there to make people laugh and brought so much joy to the set every day. We had really great chemistry acting together. It was so easy to be around him.”
The two actors co-star again in Madison, playing a married couple from New York City dealing with a horrific family tragedy.
“It took us years to meet,” Russell told People magazine at an FYC event. “We’ve never had a chance to work together before.”
The Taylor Sheridan-produced series premiered in March and has already been renewed for two more seasons.
