Birth Name|Russell Ira Crowe Nickname|Rusty Height|5’ 11” (1.80 m) Mini Biography Born in New Zealand, Russell has made his home in Australia since he was a small child. The son of movie set caterers, Russell got the acting bug early in life. Beginning as a child star on a local Australian TV show, Russell’s first big break came with two films … the first, Romper Stomper (1992), gained him a name throughout the film community in Australia and the neighboring countries. The second, The Sum of Us (1994), helped put him on the American map, so to speak. Sharon Stone heard of him from Romper Stomper (1992) and wanted him for her film, The Quick and the Dead (1995). But filming on The Sum of Us (1994) had already begun. Sharon is reported to have held up shooting until she had her gunslinger-Crowe, for her film. With The Quick and the Dead (1995) under his belt as his first American film, the second was offered to him soon after. Virtuosity (1995), starring Denzel Washington, put Russell in the body of a Virtual Serial Killer, Sid6.7 … a role unlike any he had played so far. Virtuosity (1995), a Sci-Fi extravaganza, was a fun film and, again, opened the door to even more American offers. L.A. Confidential (1997), Russell’s third American film, brought him the US fame and attention that his fans have felt he deserved all along. Missing the Oscar nod this time around, he didn’t seem deterred and signed to do his first film with The Walt Disney Company, Mystery, Alaska (1999). He has recently achieved even more success and awards for his performances in Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). Trivia Cousin of former New Zealand international cricketers Jeff and Martin Crowe. Lost his front tooth playing rugby when he was ten. Never got it fixed until, at the insistence of the director for The Crossing (1990), who paid for it out of his own pocket. First lead role when he was 25. Tried a music career as a rockabilly singer sporting a large pompadour hairdo, playing under the name Russ Le Roq. Titled his first single “I Want to Be Like Marlon Brando”. Later admitted that he had never even seen a Brando movie when he wrote and recorded the song. After filming Gladiator (2000), he and some friends took a 4,000 mile motorcycle trip around Australia. Owns a 560-acre farm in 7.5 hours North-West from Sydney. Dropped out of high school. Performed on stage in “Grease” and “The Rocky Horror Show”. Russell’s rock group is named 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. They played their first US concert following Russell’s success in Gladiator (2000) in Austin, Texas in August 2000. The tickets for the concert were selling for over $500 on e-bay.com. Suffered a shoulder injury, which will require surgery, while filming Jodie Foster’s _Flora Plum (2006)_. It is uncertain if the film will have to be recast. [5 September 2000] Has starred in two films based on articles from Vanity Fair magazine. The Insider (1999) was based on a story by Marie Brenner named “The Man Who Knew Too Much”. Proof of Life (2000) is based on the article “Adventures in the Ransom Trade” by William Prochnau. Dated Meg Ryan. [2001] Turned down the role of Logan/Wolverine in X-Men (2000). He and his band, 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts, performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (1992). [16 August 2001] Proudly displayed his grandfather’s British Honours medal (MBE) while making his Oscar Winner speech in 2001. Has indicated an interest in taking out Australian citizenship due to the amount of time and energy he spends Down Under (keeping his New Zealand citizenship as well). Although his surname is of Irish or English extraction, he lists his background as “Norwegian and Maori.” When Crowe’s acceptance speech for his Best Actor award during the British Film Awards was edited, Crowe shoved the producer of the show, Malcolm Gerrie, against a wall and cursed at him, telling him: “Who on Earth had the … audacity to take out the best actor’s poem? I’ll make sure you never work in Hollywood”. He later issued a full apology. His grandfather was from Wrexham, Wales Ranked #28 in Premiere’s 2002 annual Power 100 List. At The Orange British Academy Film Awards on Monday January 28th 2002, was nominated for the Performance by an actor in a leading role Award for his role in A Beautiful Mind (2001). Following his involvement in a brawl in a London restaurant, Russell stated that he was under a lot of stress and announced that he was going back to Australia to relax and spend more time with his father and his long-time girlfriend singer, Danielle Spencer. [November 2002] Discovered by British actor and musical director/writer Daniel Abineri, who gave Crowe his first professional acting role in a New Zealand tour of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’ Abineri later awarded Crowe the title role in his first stage musical, ‘Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom,’ which premiered in Melbourne in 1989. Ranked #30 in Premiere’s 2003 annual Power 100 List. Met spouse, Danielle Spencer in 1989 when they co-starred in the 1990 film, The Crossing (1990). Their co-star of the film, Robert Mammone (The Matrix Reloaded (2003), _Matrix Revolutions, The (2003)_), was one of Crowe’s groomsmen at their wedding. Son-in-law of actor Don Spencer. Took violin lessons in preparing for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) because his character, Jack Aubrey, played the violin several times during the movie. Favorite toy growing up was Action Man. First child with Danielle Spencer, a boy named Charles Spencer Crowe, born in Sydney (21 December 2003). He wrote a song about Jodie Foster called “Other Ways of Speaking” with his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. Jodie Foster considers him a very good friend. Plans to donate his brain to medical science when he dies. 29 January 2004 - Dislocated his shoulder while training for his upcoming boxing movie, Cinderella Man (2005). The injury delayed filming for two months. On 7 June 2006, he formed a partnership with Australian businessman Peter Holmes a Court to buy a controlling stake in his favorite sports team, the Australian NRL team South Sydney Rabbitohs. Was accepted into the prestigious drama school, The National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in Sydney. Ranked #97 on VH1’s 100 Hottest Hotties Good friends with Nicole Kidman. She also mentioned him in her oscar acceptance speech when she won ‘Best Actress in a Leading Role’ for The Hours (2002). Premiere Magazine ranked him as #49 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005). Shares a birthday with Jackie Chan. Once he was cast as Bud White in L.A. Confidential (1997), he read in the book that his character was the largest cop on the police force, off-putting for him due to his medium-sized frame (just under 6 feet). To capture a “big guy” presence, Crowe lived in a tiny flat in which he could barely fit through any of the doors. This experience, he said, made him come to the set feeling like a giant. Is an avid supporter of the AFL team Richmond Tigers. His former band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, used to cover a song by Newfoundland band, “Great Big Sea”. While filming Cinderella Man (2005) in Toronto, Russell Crowe met Alan Doyle, lead singer of “Great Big Sea”. The two ended up composing several songs together, working in Toronto and Australia, and Doyle produced Crowe’s 2005 album My Hand, My Heart. When his wife was pregnant with his first child Charles, he gave up drinking alcohol with her. Is friends with Richard Tognetti, who gave him violin lessons for _Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World_ (2003). His next album (tentatively titled “My Hand, My Heart”) is produced by Alan Doyle, lead singer for the Canadian band, Great Big Sea. He attended Vaucluse Public School in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for part of his Infants and Primary Education in the 1970s. Formed a new band, named “The Ordinary Fear of God” His performance as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider (1999) is ranked #23 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006). A Beautiful Mind (2001) is ranked #93 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time (2006). Was among the guests at Nicole Kidman’s and Keith Urban’s wedding His wife Danielle gave birth to his second boy, Tennyson Spencer Crowe, on 7 July 2006 at 7:27am (AEST). The baby weighs 3.6 kg and was born at the Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital. Despite liking the script very much, turned down About a Boy (2002). Turned down the role of Aragorn in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy since filming on _Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)_ would coincide with Ron Howard’s A Beautiful Mind (2001). However, Crowe really loved the idea of filming a movie in his home country, New Zealand, for an extended amount of time. Turned down the role of Sgt. Norm ‘Hoot’ Hooten in _Black Hawk Down (2001)_ due to scheduling conflicts. Lives in a penthouse on Woollomoollo Wharf in Sydney, the Penthouse was reportedly sold to Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer for over $13.75 million. Is a close friend of Texan Governor Rick Perry. Lobbied Californian Govener Arnold Schwarzenegger against executing Stanley “Tookie” Williams. (December 2005). The role of James J. Braddock (Cinderella Man (2005)) is his personal favorite. Nearly finalized a deal to reunite with director Michael Mann on Collateral (2004), but scheduling conflicts with “Eucalyptus”, a doomed film project, prevented him from taking the role, which later went to Tom Cruise. Two opportunities of working with fellow Australian and good friend, Nicole Kidman, have fallen through. In 2005, they were set to star in Jocelyn Moorhouse’s “Eucalyptus,” which fell through due to disputes over the screenplay. And in 2006, Crowe dropped out of Australia (2008), Baz Luhrmann’s long- gestating romantic Outback epic, due to a disagreement over a cut in Crowe’s salary. Was director Oliver Stone’s dream choice for the title role in Alexander (2004). Was considered for the role of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and its ensuing sequels. His earnings in 2001 were estimated at $15.4 million by “Business Review Weekly”. Starred in 5 movies in 7 years (1997-2003) which ended up being nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. (L.A. Confidential (1997), The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)). Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001) won. A similar achievement was done by William Hurt in the 80s, he starred in 5 movies nominated for Best Picture in only 6 years between 1983 and 1988 but none of them won. Was slated to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the movie adaptation of Murray Bail’s novel “Eucalyptus”, but this project was dropped. Initially turned down L.A. Confidential (1997) because he doubted whether he could convincingly play such a tough character. Big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL. Friends with University of Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr. Is a fan of English Football side Leeds United AFC. According to Forbes, his movies averaged $5 of gross income for every dollar the actor got paid, making him the most overpaid celebrity in the business (December 2007). Crowe’s maternal grandfather, Stan Wemyss, was a cinematographer who, according to Crowe, produced the first film by New Zealander Geoff Murphy and was also named an MBE for filming footage of World War II. Crowe’s maternal great-great-great grandmother was MÄori and as a result Crowe is registered on the Maori electoral roll in New Zealand; Crowe also has Norwegian, Irish and British ancestry. |
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