Russell Crowe Biography

Russell Crowe

actor
Born: 4/7/1964
Birthplace: New Zealand

New Zealand-born actor best known in the U.S. for his starring roles in the Academy Award-winning film L.A. Confidential (1997) and the Oscar-nominated film The Insider. Crowe grew up in Australia as the son of movie production caterers. His early work included roles in the Australian movies Proof (1991) but it was the critically acclaimed film Romper Stomper (1992) that put him in the international spotlight. According to Hollywood legend, after seeing that film, Sharon Stone hand picked Crowe to appear in the American action movie The Quick and the Dead (1995). That same year he appeared opposite Denzel Washington as a sadistic virtual reality character roaming the real world in Virtuosity (1995). His Oscar-winning, nuanced performance in the epic Gladiator (2000) propelled him to the top of Hollywood's A list. Crowe earned his third Oscar nomination for his portrayal of mentally ill math genius John Forbes Nash, Jr. in A Beautiful Mind.