Russell Crowe - Biography

Last Editor: rutchell				Russell Crowe Biography -   Name : Russell Crowe Date of Birth : 7 April 1964 Place Of Birth : Wellington, New Zealand Height : 5'11'' Weight : Eyes : Blue-Green Hair : Brown Occupations : Actor, musician Residence : NSW Australia Father : Alex Crowe, set caterer Mother : Jocelyn Crowe (née Wymess), set caterer Brother : older, Terry Sign : Aries Fan Mail : C/- George Freeman I.C.M 8942 Wilshire Boulevard Beverley Hills CA. 90211

Russell Crowe Trivia -

He is cousin of former New Zealand international cricketers Jeff and Martin Crowe. He 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. He got his first lead role when he was 25. He 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. He owns a 560-acre farm in 7.5 hours North-West from Sydney. He dropped out of high school. 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. He 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] He has starred in three 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) was based on the article "Adventures in the Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau. A Beautiful Mind (2001) was originally published in Vanity Fair as an excerpt of Sylvia Nasar 's book about John Forbes Nash. He dated Meg Ryan in 2001. He 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] He proudly displayed his grandfather's British Honours medal (MBE) while making his Oscar Winner speech in 2001. He 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 He ranked #28 in Premiere's 2002 annual Power 100 List. 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), The Matrix Revolutions (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 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (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 MÄÂ�ori and as a result Crowe is registered on the MaÂ�ori electoral roll in New Zealand; Crowe also has Norwegian, Irish and British ancestry. Gained 63 pounds for his role in Body of Lies (2008). He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Australian society and Australian film production.

Russell Crowe Detailed Biography -

He is one of the most intense actors on the Hollywood scene - one of the guys everyone wants to work with, but does so warily. Just as his movie career has swung back and forth from ‘nice guy' roles to some of the screen's most lasting psychopaths, Russell Crowe's personality is a shifting landscape of emotions. He is a paradox - always preceded by contrasting stories of his kindness and extreme callousness. What is never in question however, is his talent. Although he was raised in Australia from the age of 4 onward, Crowe was actually born in New Zealand on April 7th, 1964. His parents, Alex and Jocelyn, worked as innkeepers and caterers for the most part. The family lived a very bohemian lifestyle, as they were constantly on the move. Russell did not enjoy a permanent home until the age of fourteen. His folks often worked on movie and television sets, catering food. Before long, a young Russell was doing walk-ons and bit parts in productions. When he hit his teen years though, it was not acting which drove Crowe, but rather music. He fancied himself a rock musician, and after assuming the identity of Russ Le Roc, set about making name of himself. While not playing music, he worked part time as a waiter and bartender. Eventually, Crowe would give up on his Russ Le Roc persona. Instead, he formed a new rock group with some friends which they dubbed Roman Antix, which later evolved into 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. Russell still plays in the band when he has time off. In 1990, Crowe finally decided to give acting another try and met with immediate success. He was a natural who drew comparisons to Brando and James Dean. Within two years of making his acting debut, he had already made eight films and earned two awards from Australia's Film Institute. The first was a Best Supporting Actor award for the film Proof, and the second was for Best Actor for the film Romper Stomper. The latter film, about a sadistic Nazi skinhead, caused a controversial sensation largely due to the stark and gritty realism of Crowe's portrayal. He atoned somewhat by following it up with a sensitive and understated role in The Sum of Us as the gay son of good-natured Australian man reaching middle-age. Stateside, Russell made his debut in Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead. Sharon Stone had been so impressed with the man from down under's role in Romper Stomper that she had petitioned loudly for him to be cast. Stone got her way and Russell landed the role of a former gunslinger cum preacher. Ironically, he easily outshone the lead actress (not to mention Leonardo DiCaprio) and was regarded as the only positive aspect of the film. Next up for Crowe was another sadistic turn, this time as a computer generated killer who contains within him the psychological profiles of 183 of history's worst serial killers, in the film Virtuosity . Co-starring Denzel Washington, the film was hardly the best that either man had to offer. Crowe was finally given his opportunity to demonstrate to America the awesome talent that so far only Australians and select critics knew about, in the film L.A. Confidential. The gritty crime movie, set in the 1950s, captivated audiences in 1997 and was overshadowed only by one other film that year (something about a big boat). The ''anti-Titanic '', the film was embraced by indie fans and film connoisseurs. Mostly everyone found Russell Crowe's portrayal of the thug-like Detective Bud White impossible to ignore. In 1999 Crowe stars in a Disney movie named Mystery, Alaska and in The Insider. For this movie he is nominated for an Oscar but Kevin Spacey takes the Best Actor for his performances in American beauty. In 2000 Crowe stars in Gladiator, a great film from director Ridley Scott. People say that the Oscar nominations are allready for this great Roman-movie. On the personal side, Crowe remains a rather reclusive personality. He has said that he would only live in L.A. if certain conditions were met, namely: ''if Australia and New Zealand were swallowed up by a huge tidal wave, if there was a bubonic plague in Europe, and if the continent of Africa disappeared from some Martian attack.'' Crowe prefers to remain in Australia, returning there whenever he's not working. A straightforward and downright blunt individual, he has no time for the pretense and smoke and mirrors of Hollywood. Crowe has become notorious for his refusal to conform to Hollywood life and makes a point of being as in-your-face about it as possible. He has walked out of interviews (most infamously one with the New York Post after claiming he was bored), often purposefully blows cigarette smoke in people's faces and hurls obscenities at the slightest provocation. Crowe is often known for his frequent clashes with directors during filming. But despite his erratic, rude and abrasive behavior, he has many fans amongst Hollywood's elite - including Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, and many directors still want to work with him. The reason for this is that his talent is undeniable. Whenever Russell Crowe graces the screen, he leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.