Born April 7, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand, Russell Crowe’s parents both catered movie sets. His maternal grandfather was a cinematographer. The family moved to Australia when he was 4 and remained there for ten years before returning to New Zealand. He permanently relocated to Australia at 21.
Crowe made his acting debut on Australian TV at the age of 8. He would not make his film debut until 18 years later. In 1991, he made a huge impression in TV miniseries Brides of Christ in support of Brenda Fricker and on screen in Proof in support of Hugo Weaving. In 1992, he had his first starring role on screen as a skinhead in Romper Stomper. In 1994, he played Jack Thompson’s gay son in the international hit, The Sum of Us. He made his Hollywood debut in 1995’s The Quick and the Dead in which he was billed below Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman but above Leonardo DiCaprio.
His acclaimed performance in 1997’s L.A. Confidential alongside Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, and Kim Basinger made Crowe an international star. Two years later he received the first of three consecutive Oscar nominations for Best Actor for The Insider in which he starred alongside Al Pacino and Christopher Plummer. He won the Oscar on his second nomination for 2000’s Gladiator in which he was supported by Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, and Richard Harris. That same year he starred in Proof of life opposite Meg Ryan with whom he had a brief affair. His third nomination was for 2001’s A Beautiful Mind, which like Gladiator the year before, won the Oscar for Best Picture.
In 2003, Crowe married longtime girlfriend Danielle Spencer with whom he had two children over the course of their sixteen-year marriage.
The first decade of the new millennium saw Crowe star in such films as Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World for director Peter Weir, Cinderella Man for his A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard, A Good Year for his Gladiator director Ridley Scott, 3:10 to Yuma for director James Mangold, American Gangster and Body of Lies both of them again for Ridley Scott, and State of Play for Kevin Macdonald.
Crowe began the 2010s with an updated version of Robin Hood directed once again by Ridley Scott opposite Cate Blanchett as his Maid Marion. Then he played Javert opposite Hugh Jackman’s Jean Valjean in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and Jor-El to Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel in Zack Snyder’s Superman origin film. He then joined Eva Marie Saint in support of Colin Farrell and Matt Bomer in Winter’s Tale directed by Akiva Goldsman and played the title role for Darren Aronofsky in the critically panned Noah. He made his directorial debut with 2014’s critically acclaimed post-Gallipoli drama, The Water Diviner in which he also starred.
Most recently Crowe had the title role in Julius Avery’s The Pope’s Exorcist opposite Franco Nero as the Pope.
Russell Crowe is still an acting force to be reckoned with at 59.
ESSENTIAL FILMS
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997), directed by Curtis Hanson
The most critically acclaimed neo-noir since Roman Polanski’s 1974 film, Chinatown, Hanson’s film of James Ellroy’s novel was nominated for 9 Oscars including Best Picture and Director and won 2 for Best Supporting Actress Kim Basinger and Best Adapted Screenplay for Brian Helgeland and Hanson. The story revolves around three policemen played by Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, and Crowe investigating a Hollywood murder against the backdrop of police corruption in the 1950s. Crowe falls hard for Basinger as call girl dressed up to look like actress Veronia Lake who holds a key to the mystery.
THE INSIDER (1999), directed by Michael Mann
Nominated for 7 Oscars including Best Picture, Director, and Actor (Crowe), this acclaimed film featured Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand, a research chemist who came under personal and professional attack when he appeared on 60 Minutes is an exposé on Big Tobacco. Prodded by 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman in an interview with Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer), Crowe’s Wigand reveals that cigarettes are not only addictive and harmful but deliberately worked on increasing their addictiveness despite the suits at CBS as well the tobacco industry having worked against both Bergman and Wigand to silence them.
GLADIATOR (2000), directed by Ridley Scott
Nominated for 12 Oscars and winner of 5 including Best Picture, Actor (Crowe), Costume Design, Sound, and Visual Effects, the film was a throwback to the sword-and-sandal epics of the 1950s albeit with the help of CGI. The film which was also nominated for Best Director, Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing Original Score, and Art Direction-Set Decoration, also starred Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed (who died during filming), Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, and David Hemmings. Both Harris and Hemmings died within three years of the film’s release.
A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2006), directed by Ron Howard
Nominated for 8 Oscars and winner of 4 including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly), and Adapted Screenplay, the film was about a mathematical genius who made a discovery early in his career that resulted in his winning the Nobel Prize late in life. In the meantime, he suffers through auditory delusions and possible physical delusions. The film was made in chronological order to help Crowe develop his consistent manner of behavior. Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucs, and Anthony Rapp co-star. Crowe lost the Oscar to Denzel Washington in Training Day.
LES MISÉRABLES (2012), directed by Tom Hooper
Nominated for 8 Oscars and winner of 3 including Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway), Makeup and Hairstyling, and Sound Mixing. The film version of the long-running London and Broadway musical version of Victor Hugo’s classic starred Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Crowe as his nemesis, Javert. Hathaway played Fantine, whose death early on hangs over the remainder of the film. Amanda Seyfried played Fantine’s daughter raised by Valjean. Eddie Redmayne played Marius, Aaron Tviet played Enjoras, and Samantha Banks played Eponine. Also in the cast were Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers.
RUSSELL CROWE AND OSCAR
The Insider (1999) – nominated – Best Actor.
Gladiator (2000) – Oscar – Best Actor
A Beautiful Mind (2001) – nominated – Best Actor
