MICHAEL MADSEN - MADSEN REFUSED TO PLAY VICTIM TO BALE + BLOOM

Tough guys MICHAEL MADSEN fought to play the lead in new fight film STRENGTH + HONOR because he didn't like the idea of ORLANDO BLOOM or CHRISTIAN BALE knocking him out. The Reservoir Dogs star was originally cast as the bare-knuckle fighter who receives a beating at the end of the film, but couldn't stomach getting flattened by the suggested leading men. He explains, "There are two fighters in the movie... In the beginning they offered me the role of the knuckle fighter. I said, 'I don't want to play that guy,' and they said, 'We're gonna get Orlando Bloom to play Sean.' "I said, 'I'm gonna be knocked out by Orlando Bloom? If I do that then it'll be over for me. I won't be able to play any bad guys after that! You guys must be crazy.' "Then they were gonna get Christian Bale. I kept saying, 'Please let me play Sean, the other guy,' but the money guys wouldn't let me do it.' "I finally got the call from the director, Mark Mahon, and they were gonna let me play Sean." Madsen stopped smoking and worked out with top kick boxers and Irish middleweight Norman Kelly. The actor adds, "They basically beat the crap out of me every day for four weeks of endlessly training."