Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is a New Zealand-born Australian actor and musician. His acting career began in the late 1980s with roles in Australian television series including Police Rescue and Neighbours. In the early 1990s, Crowe's local prominence peaked when he won the Australian Film Industry Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of an inner-city skinhead in the Geoffrey Wright film, Romper Stomper. In the late 1990s, Crowe transferred his acting ambitions to the USA with his breakout role in L.A. Confidential (1997). Crowe won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Gladiator in 2001 and has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role: The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). He is also co-owner of National Rugby League team the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Career
Crowe began his performing career as a musician In the mid-1980s, under guidance from his good friend Tom Sharplin, when he performed as a rock 'n' roll revivalist, under the stage name Russ Le Roq. He had a New Zealand single with "I Just Want To Be Like Marlon Brando.[9] He managed an Auckland music venue called "The Venue" in the mid '80s.[10]
In 1986 to 1988 he was given his first professional role by director Daniel Abineri in a production of The Rocky Horror Show. He played the role of Eddie/Dr Scott. He repeated this performance in a further Australian production of the show. In the 1988 Australian production of Blood Brothers, Crowe played the role of Mickey. He was also cast again by Daniel Abineri in the role of Johnny in the stage musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom in 1989.
Crowe returned to Australia at age 21, intending to apply to the National Institute of Dramatic Art. "I was working in a theatre show, and talked to a guy who was then the head of technical support at NIDA," Crowe recalled. "I asked him what he thought about me spending three years at NIDA. He told me it'd be a waste of time. He said, 'You already do the things you go there to learn, and you've been doing it for most of your life, so there's nothing to teach you but bad habits.'" In 1987 Crowe spent six-months busking when he couldn't find other work
Al-Qaeda threats
On 9 March 2005, Crowe revealed to GQ magazine that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents had approached him prior to the 73rd Academy Awards on 25 March 2001 and told him that the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap him. Crowe told the magazine that it was the first time he had ever heard of al-Qaeda (the 11 September attacks took place later that year) and was quoted as saying:
“ You get this late-night call from the FBI when you arrive in Los Angeles, and they're, like, absolutely full-on. 'We’ve got to talk to you now before you do anything. We have to have a discussion with you, Mr. Crowe.' ”
Crowe recalled that:
“ it was something to do with some recording picked up by a French policewoman, I think, in either Libya or Algiers...it was about taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural-destabilization plan.
Music
Crowe, going under the name of "Rus le Roq", recorded a 1980s tune titled "I Want To Be Like Marlon Brando".
In the '80s Crowe and friend Billy Dean Cochran formed a band, "Roman Antix", which later evolved into the Australian rock band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts (abbreviated to TOFOG). Crowe performed lead vocals and guitar for the band, which formed in 1992. The band released The Photograph Kills EP in 1995 as well as three full length records, Gaslight (1998),Bastard Life or Clarity (2001) and Other Ways of Speaking (2003). In 2000 TOFOG performed shows in London, Los Angeles and the now famous run of shows at Stubbs in Austin, TX which became a live DVD that was released in 2001 called Texas. In 2001 the band came to the US for major press, radio and TV appearances for the Bastard Life or Clarity release and returned Stubbs in Austin, TX to kick off a sold out US tour with dates in Austin, Boulder, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York City and the last show at the famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.
In early 2005 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts as a group has "dissolved/evolved" with Crowe feeling his future music would take a new direction and he began a collaboration with Alan Doyle of the Canadian band Great Big Sea, and with it a new band: The Ordinary Fear of God which also involved some members of the previous TOFOG lineup. A new single, Raewyn, was released in April 2005 and an album entitled My Hand, My Heart which was released and is available for download on iTunes. The album includes a tribute song to actor Richard Harris, who became Crowe's friend during the making of Gladiator.
Filmography
Films
Year Film Role Notes
1990 Blood Oath Lt. Jack Corbett
1990 The Crossing Johnny Ryan Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award – Best Actor in Lead Role
1991 Proof Andy Australian Film Institute Award – Best Supporting Actor
Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actor – Male
1992 Spotswood Kim Barrett
1992 Romper Stomper Hando Australian Film Institute Award – Best Actor in Lead Role
Seattle International Film Festival for Best Actor (also for Hammers Over the Anvil)
1993 Hammers Over the Anvil East Driscoll Seattle International Film Festival for Best Actor (also for Romper Stomper)
1993 The Silver Brumby The Man (Egan)
1993 For the Moment Lachlan Currie
1994 The Sum of Us Jeff Mitchell
1995 The Quick and the Dead Cort
1995 No Way Back FBI Agent Zack Grant
1995 Virtuosity SID 6.7
1995 Rough Magic Alex Ross
1997 L.A. Confidential Officer Wendell "Bud" White Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1997 Heaven's Burning Colin O'Brien
1997 Breaking Up Steve
1999 Mystery, Alaska Sheriff John Biebe
1999 The Insider Jeffrey Wigand Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for Gladiator)
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
2000 Gladiator Maximus Decimus Meridius Academy Award for Best Actor
Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Action
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Empire Award for Best Actor
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (also for The Insider)
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2000 Proof of Life Terry Thorne Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor – Suspense
2001 A Beautiful Mind John Nash BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—American Film Institute Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award – Best Actor in Lead Role
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2003 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Capt. Jack Aubrey Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
2005 Cinderella Man Jim Braddock Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award – Best International Actor
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
2006 A Good Year Max Skinner
2007 3:10 to Yuma Ben Wade Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2007 American Gangster Det. Richie Roberts Nominated—Australian Film Institute Award – Best International Actor
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2008 Tenderness Detective Cristofuoro
2008 Body of Lies Ed Hoffman
2009 State of Play Cal McAffrey Australian Film Institute Award – Best International Actor
2010 Robin Hood Robin Longstride Nominated–Teen Choice Award for Action Adventure Actor
2010 The Next Three Days John Brennan
2011 The Man with the Iron Fist
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