Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe is pictured at the premiere of the film, "A Beautiful Mind" December 13, 2001 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
One of the most popular movie stars of his generation, the Oscar-winning actor, musician, and rugby team owner has added director to his resume, with his new historical drama, "The Water Diviner."
By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan
Russ le Roq
Born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1964, Russell Crowe's family moved continuously when he was a child. "We probably moved three or four times before we even came to Australia," he told CBS News' Seth Doane. "And then in Australia we probably lived in ten places in ten years."
With parents who worked in the film industry, Crowe began a career as a child actor in Australian television. But as a young man he also pursued a music career, under the stage name Russ le Roq. He performed in the bands Roman Antix (left) and, later, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.
As late as 2012 Crowe was still singing on stage with longtime bandmaster Alan Doyle, as part of The Ordinary Fear of God.
"Romper Stomper"
One of Crowe's earliest films to gain wide international attention was "Romper Stomper" (1992), about neo-Nazi skinheads in Melbourne.
Crowe won Best Actor awards from the Australian Film Institute and the Film Critics Circle of Australia. He was also cited for his performance at the Seattle International Film Festival.
"The Quick and the Dead"
In Sam Raimi's "The Quick and the Dead" (1995), Russell Crowe played a gunslinger-turned-preacher in an Old West town where a gunfighting contest means a lot of blood spilled.
"Virtuosity"
In the sci-fi thriller, "Virtuosity" (1997), Russell Crowe played a serial killer in a virtual reality realm, who then becomes all too real. Denzel Washington is the detective to has to take him down, somehow.
"L.A. Confidential"
Off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush: The dark underbelly of Los Angeles crime, in "L.A. Confidential" (1997), based on the James Ellroy novel, wraps LAPD officer Wendell White (Russell Crowe) and call girl Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) in a dizzying tale of corruption and vice.
"The Insider"
In Michael Mann's "The Insider" (1999), Russell Crowe played Jeffrey Wigand, a tobacco industry whistleblower whose life spirals downward after taking his story to a "60 Minutes" producer (played by Al Pacino).
Crowe received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
"Mission: Impossible 2"
Russell Crowe and Tom Cruise arrive for the premiere of Cruise's latest film, "Mission: Impossible 2" at The Empire, Leicester Square, London, June 4, 2000.
"Gladiator"
In Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" (2000), Russell Crowe played the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is reduced to slavery and to battling in gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of his fellow Romans.
"Gladiator" was an unexpected, phenomenal success, earning nearly half a billion dollars worldwide and winning five Oscars, including Best Picture and, for Crowe, Best Actor - a rarity for a performance in an action film.
"Gladiator"
"Look at the opportunity I get, man -- I've time traveled," Crowe told CBS News' Seth Doane. "I have walked the streets of Rome where everywhere, anything in my perspective that I can see, is 100 percent 184 A.D. That's what people are dressed like. That's what it smells like. The animals or whatever, you know. And I know it's just imaginary, but it's a really fascinating thing to do."
"Gladiator"
Actors Russell Crowe and Al Pacino arrive at the 58th annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California 21 January 2001. Crowe was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for his role in "Gladiator." Pacino was recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille award.
Academy Awards
The Academy Award-winners for Best Actress, Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovich"), and Best Actor, Russell Crowe ("Gladiator"), pose backstage at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, March 25, 2001.
30 Odd Foot of Grunts
In this February 2001 photo Russell Crowe performs with his band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts at the Allan Border Medal Presentation, at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.
30 Odd Foot of Grunts
Actor Russell Crowe performs with his band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts at the House of Blues August 26, 2001 in Los Angeles, Calif.
30 Odd Foot of Grunts
Russell Crowe performs with his band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts at the House of Blues August 26, 2001 in Los Angeles, Calif.
"A Beautiful Mind"
In "A Beautiful Mind" (2001), Russell Crowe earned his third Oscar nomination playing John Nash, a tortured mathematical genius who would both win a Nobel Prize in Economics and suffer from paranoid schizophrenia.
The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Academy Awards
Actor Russell Crowe and actress, singer and songwriter Danielle Spencer arrive at the 74th annual Academy Awards March 24, 2002 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Calif.
The couple met during the making of the 1989 film, "The Crossing." They eventually married in 2003, in a chapel Crowe built on his Nana Glen ranch, and had two boys.
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (2003), condensed from plots and incidents in several of Patrick O'Brian's massively popular series of Captain Aubrey novels, was a thrillingly mounted sea epic set during the Napoleonic Wars. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and won two.
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"
Britain's Prince Charles poses with actor Russell Crowe at the Royal Premiere of "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," November 17, 2003, in London.
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"
Despite the critical acclaim for "Master and Commander," and its $200 million+ worldwide gross (in the words of director Peter Weir, it performed "well… ish"), an anticipated sequel did not materialize.
In 2010, Crowe sent a Twitter message to his fans: "If you want a Master and Commander sequel I suggest you e-mail Tom Rothman at Fox and let him know your thoughts."
To date no follow-up film has been announced.
Rugby Fan
Rugby has been a lifelong passion for Crowe, who has followed the travails of the South Sydney Rabbitohs since he was a child. With the team's finances in tatters and the prospects on the field as bad, Crowe and businessman Peter Holmes à Court took over ownership in 2006.
"For me, taking over South Sydney and inspiring a new generation of South Sydney kids is about community independence," Crowe said. "Like, what's the greatest thing that I can do for the greatest amount of people in an Australian sense, where it will be a daily inspiration? Oddly enough, it's also come with a massive increase in the value of what the club is. So that's all good, too."
Aussie Actors
Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe are seen during the WBA Super Middle Weight Boxing Title Defense between Anthony Mundine of Australia and Yoshinori Nishizawa of Japan, at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on January 19, 2004 in Wollongong, Australia.
"Cinderella Man"
In the Depression-era "Cinderella Man" (2005), Russell Crowe played boxer James J. Braddock. The film costarred Paul Giamatti as his manager, and Renee Zellweger.
Trouble
On June 6, 2005 Russell Crowe was arrested in New York City, charged with throwing a telephone at an employee of the hotel where he was staying. Crowe eventually plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and settled a civil lawsuit with the hotel worker. But he discounted the tabloid image of him as a "Hollywood bad boy."
"Reality break: I know some people enjoy that aspect of it, but it's all made up.And I'm sorry to, you know, burst your bubble, the whole tough-guy thing. I put makeup on for a living, brother! Come on."
"So it's all an act?" asked Seth Doane.
"It's not an act; it's a perception that somebody writes. I'm in no way, shape or form any kind of angry person."
"A Good Year"
In "A Good Year" (2006), Russell Crowe played a workaholic investment banker who inherits a villa in Provence from his uncle. His reminiscences of his idyllic summers with Uncle Henry lead him to put his fast-forward life on pause, just in time to start paying attention to a local café owner (Marion Cotillard).
MTV Australia Video Music Awards
Russell Crowe performs on stage during the second MTV Australia Video Music Awards at the Sydney SuperDome April 12, 2006 in Sydney, Australia.
"3:10 to Yuma"
Russell Crowe and Christian Bale starred in director James Mangold's 2007 remake of "3:10 to Yuma," based on Elmore Leonard's western novel.
"American Gangster"
The "Virtuosity" costars reteamed in the 2007 crime drama, "American Gangster." Russell Crowe played a Newark narcotics detective out to bring down a major drug trafficker, played by Denzel Washington.
"American Gangster"
Actor Denzel Washington, producer Brian Grazer, actors Lymari Nadal and actor Russell Crowe, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa arrive for a screening of Universal's "American Gangster," at the Arclight on October 29, 2007 in Hollywood, California.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Danielle Spencer and Russell Crowe watch the round 19 NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the North Queensland Cowboys at Telstra Stadium July 22, 2007 in Sydney, Australia.
In 2014 the Rabbitohs won their first championship in 43 years.
"Body of Lies"
Adapted from David Ignatius' novel, "Body of Lies" (2008), starred Leonardo diCaprio and Russell Crowe as a CIA operative and his boss trying to expose a terrorist cell in Iraq.
"State of Play"
In the 2009 thriller "State of Play," Russell Crowe played a newspaper reporter digging into the death of the mistress of his former college roommate (and now Congressman), played by Ben Affleck.
Stamp of Approval
Australia Post postage stamps featuring images of actors Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe are seen on February 2, 2009 in Sydney, Australia, issued as "2009 Australian Legends Of The Screen.
"Robin Hood"
In the 2010 film "Robin Hood" Russell Crowe took up the bow and arrow as Robin Longstride. Costarring were Max von Sydow, William Hurt, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, and Cate Blanchett as Marion.
"Robin Hood"
"Robin Hood" was the fifth collaboration between Crowe and director Ridley Scott, after "Gladiator," "A Good Year," "American Gangster" and "Body of Lies."
"Robin Hood"
Actress Cate Blanchett, producer Brian Grazer, Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen, Danielle Spencer and actor Russell Crowe attend the premiere of "Robin Hood," at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 2010 in Cannes, France.
Walk of Fame
Russell Crowe points to his star at the ceremony presenting the New Zealand-born actor with the 2,404th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on April 12, 2010 in Hollywood.
Russell & Oprah
Russell Crowe and Oprah Winfrey sail in Sydney Harbour on December 13, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.
Bon Jovi and Crowe
Jon Bon Jovi and Russell Crowe pose at a celebrity-studded party following a Bon Jovi concert at Star City on December 15, 2010 in Sydney, Australia.
Crowe & Spencer
Crowe told Seth Doane that it was his devotion to bringing back his rugby team that ended his nine-year marriage to Danielle Spencer.
"Making a film is my job. And my wife clearly understands what my job is. But to her, I suppose, the football situation was needlessly taking myself away. And not physically, because I had to be here to do it. But it's more mentally, you know. I'm in the same place. She's a very smart woman, the woman that I married, you know? She knows what I'm thinking about. So I might be present somewhere, but I'm not really in the room. You know what I mean? I'm worrying about a whole bunch of other stuff."
"The Man With the Iron Fists"
The music producer and rapper RZA, with whom Russell Crowe appeared in "American Gangster," directed Crowe in his 2012 homage to martial arts pictures, "The Man With the Iron Fists." Crowe played a British soldier named Jack Knife, whose character was inspired by the late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard.
"Les Miserables"
Damned if I'll live in the debt of a thief,
Damned if I'll yield at the end of the chase,
I am the law and the law is not mocked.
I'll spit his pity right back in his face.
The 2012 film version of the musical "Les Miserables" featured Russell Crowe as Javert.
"Les Miserables"
Actors Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfriend attend the world premiere of "Les Miserables" at the Odeon Leicester Square on December 5, 2012 in London, England.
AACTA International Awards
Actor Russell Crowe and director Quentin Tarantino attend the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts' 2nd AACTA International Awards at Soho House on January 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
AACTA International Awards
Actors Robert De Niro and Russell Crowe attend the Australian Academy Of Cinema And Television Arts' 2nd AACTA International Awards at Soho House on January 26, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
Neck and Neck
Russell Crowe mingles with the crowd at Spike TV's Guys Choice 2013, at Sony Pictures Studios on June 8, 2013 in Culver City, California.
"Man of Steel"
In 1982 Russ le Roq recorded the song, "I Just Want To Be Like Marlon Brando." Three decades later, in the quasi-remake of "Superman," Russell Crowe got to fill the shoes of Marlon Brando as Jor-El, Superman's father, in "Man of Steel" (2013).
"Broken City"
In "Broken City" (2013), Russell Crowe played the Mayor of New York City who suspects his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) of having an affair.
"That was an extremely challenging character for me," Crowe said of the film, which did not succeed at the box office. "I saw the film, and I thought, 'That's a great movie.' I thought that Allen Hughes, the director, did a wonderful job. But, you know, it didn't make any sort of splash at all. But six months later or a year later, somebody will sorta come up to you in the street and go, 'Man, that character you played in 'Broken City,' that was venal!'"
"Can you tell whether the film's going to be really good? Yeah. Can you tell whether it's going to be commercially successful? Not necessarily."
Punt
TV personality Ellen DeGeneres looks on as Russell Crowe kicks a football into the crowd during filming of her television show on a floating stage above Sydney Harbour, March 23, 2013 in Sydney, Australia.
"Noah"
Russell Crowe starred in Darren Aronofsky's take on the Biblical tale of "Noah" (2014), as the patriarch who prepares his family for the end of the world.
"Noah"
"A Beautiful Mind" costars Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe, reunited in "Noah" (2014).
"Noah"
Russell Crowe with director Darren Aronofsky on the set of "Noah."
"Noah"
A billboard for the Biblical epic film "Noah," starring Russell Crowe, is seen March 11, 2014 in Hollywood, California.
"Noah"
Actors Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe attend the New York premiere of "Noah" at the Ziegfeld Theatre on March 26, 2014 in New York City.
"Noah"
Actors Emma Watson and Russell Crowe attend the U.K. premiere of "Noah" at the Odeon Leicester Square on March 31, 2014 in London, England.
"Noah"
Russell Crowe signs autographs at the premiere of "Noah" at the Cinepolis Lagoon Theatre on March 20, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"Noah"
A fan of Russell Crowe attends the premiere of "Noah" at the Cinepolis Lagoon Theatre on March 20, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"The Water Diviner"
After directing documentary shorts and a music video featuring his wife, Russell Crowe directed his first feature film, "The Water Diviner." In the critically-acclaimed historical drama, Crowe plays an Australian who travels to Turkey in search of his sons - soldiers who went missing during the World War I Battle of Gallipoli.
"The Water Diviner"
Describing the directing of "The Water Diviner" as his most satisfying artistic experience, Crowe told Doane he'd wanted to be a director since he was six, growing up surrounded by film people.
"I've taken it very slowly," he said. "I've gone about it from probably a funny perspective from other people's points of view. But the time that I've spent on film sets adds up to some huge tertiary qualifications."
"The Water Diviner"
Russell Crowe and Olga Kurylenko arrive at the Melbourne premiere of "The Water Diviner," at Rivoli Cinema on December 3, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia.
"The Water Diviner"
Actor-director Russell Crowe attends the premiere of "The Water Diviner" at Burke Theater at U.S. Navy Memorial on April 7, 2015 in Washington, D.C.
Back Home
"It's a type of meditation," Crowe said of spending time on his 1,400-acre ranch in Nana Glen, New South Wales. "I don't get to do it anywhere near as much as the original plan (laughs). Especially the last four years. The last four years have been really intense.
"If you think about it, the last four years, that's 'Man of Steel,' 'Les Miz,' 'Noah,' and then a couple of other films that didn't go so well, 'Broken City' and 'Winter's Tale.' And then there's the three-year process of me finding 'The Water Diviner' script, doing all the location scouts, putting the crew together, actually going into production. Then shooting 'Fathers and Daughters' at the beginning of my post-production, and then shooting 'Nice Guys' at the very end of my post-production. So it's been an extremely busy last period. But, you know, hopefully once I've sold the film around the world, then I get some time off!"
For more
info:
"The Water Diviner"(Warner Brothers official site)
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