Director Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption is an endearing classic that has stood the test of time thanks to its universal themes of hope, freedom, and friendship. Tim Robbins was brilliant as Andy Dufresne – a man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife – going above and beyond what anyone expected to deliver the performance of a lifetime. While this included playing off the legendary Morgan Freeman, Robbins’ time on set was also spent in an actual river of “cow poop” in order to capture the film’s pivotal scene, a testament to just how far he was willing to go for the sake of art.
Speaking with The Daily Beast, Darabont recalled shooting the scene in question, which features Andy crawling through a sewer pipe to finally escape Shawshank State Prison, spilling out into a creek that didn’t need any extra dressing to make it look dirty. In fact, just the opposite is true, as the director revealed that it had to be sanitized so that Robbins wouldn’t fall ill.
“It’s a glorious moment, right? Everybody feels their soul being uplifted. Meanwhile, we were out in this horrible little creek that was filled with cow poop. They had to dam the creek to get the water level up and pour sterilizing stuff in there so Tim wouldn’t get some horrible disease. Actors can be real troopers sometimes because sliding out of that pipe into that muck was so gross. To convey that incredible moment while covered in cow urine? It’s amazing.”
Morgan Freeman Suggested Tim Robbins for the Role of Andy Dufresne
While it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Andy Dufresne all these years later, Robbins wasn’t everyone’s first choice for the part. After considering the likes of Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, and Nicolas Cage, it was Freeman who suggested that Darabont take a look at Robbins. After a rewatch of the incredible Jacob’s Ladder, the director agreed, not just because of the potential chemistry between the two actors, but because Robbins’ demeanor was exactly what Darabont envisioned for Dufresne.
“It was a suggestion from Morgan [Freeman]. We were racking our brains on who could play Andy and he suggested Tim. I rewatched
Jacob’s Ladder
and thought their chemistry could be interesting because they’re so different. Also Tim’s enigmatic quality… He looks like he’s carrying a secret around with him and that sums up Andy’s character.”
As if spending time in a river of cow poop wasn’t enough to showcase his commitment to the role, Darabont also revealed that Robbins spent some time in solitary confinement to better understand the character of Dufresne. “Not overnight though. After an hour or two he said, ‘OK, that’s enough’ and I don’t blame him.” Clearly all that work paid off, as Robbins is arguably one of the greatest actors of this generation, and would go on to win the Academy Award a decade later for Best Supporting Actor thanks to his performance in Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River.
As far as Stephen King adaptations go, The Shawshank Redemption is undoubtedly one of the best, and if you have yet to check out the magnificent performances of both Freeman and Robbins, it’s available to rent or purchase on all PVOD platforms.