Kurt Russell Recalls Awkward Moment When He Kicked Elvis Presley While Filming

While known for his roles in Escape from New York, The Thing, and Big Trouble in Little China, Kurt Russell was once known as the “boy kicking Mike.” That might sound odd, but the moment came when Russell was only a child. He happened to land a role opposite Elvis Presley in It Happened at the World’s Fair in 1963. Never forgetting his time on set, Russell recently shared a story about working with Elvis and what led to him kicking the King of Rock and Roll. 

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Meeting an icon like Elvis is one thing, but to kick one – well, that might not work out for most people. But again, most people aren’t Russell. The story surrounding the singer and Russell happened on the set of It Happened at the World’s Fair. Speaking with Seth Myers, the actor explained, “He wanted to have an excuse to meet this nurse, so he needs to figure out a way to go in there with something and he pays this kid 50 cents to kick him in the shins, so I got that job.”

When the day came to film his scene, Russell was instructed to kick Elvis in the shin. “That’s pre-CGI, right? So he had a pad on him, and everybody was a little worried about it. They said, ‘Now, kind of go easy,’ and I had shoes, not sneakers, and I’m looking at it like, ‘I can’t miss that,’ and I did it about 10 times. Elvis was like, ‘I think he’s got it, I don’t think I’m too worried about that.’”

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The Shocking Detail Kurt Russell Learned About Elvis Presley

With Russell still amazed by his time with Elvis, it seemed that the singer was a fan of Russell’s dad, actor Bing Russell. “We’re back in Los Angeles shooting and my dad comes on set with me and Elvis was over there. And I see Elvis looking over, really looking over, and he says, ‘Is that your dad? Is that your father over there?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘ Oh, man, can I meet him?’”

Shocked that Elvis was a fan, the two eventually met. And what did Elvis say – “Mr. Russell, I love the way you wear your hat in all the cowboy movies you do. If I ever do a cowboy movie, would it be okay if I wore my hat your way?”

Gaining permission from Bing, Elvis proved that even the biggest star in the world could still admire the work of others. And for Russell, the encounter became one of the most unforgettable memories from his early days in Hollywood.

(Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)