21st Century Superstar
By Barry Norman
Radio Times UK September 29, 2001

When I first saw Russell Crowe in last year's Gladiator I grandly hailed him as "the first superstar of the 21st century". Well, it was a cracking performance in a cracking film and I also had in mind how very good and very different he had been in 1997's LA Confidential and The Insider. But then came Proof of Life, which was a bit of a dud attended by messy publicity concerning his affair with his co-star Meg Ryan, and I began to wonder.

I think Hollywood did too - not about his ability; he has given ample proof of that - but about his behaviour. There were rumours that he had become arrogant and full of himself, which if true - and I wouldn't know - is hardly endearing, though such qualities have never yet stopped anyone becoming a superstar. The same can be said of his allegedly cavalier attitude towards women. But the Ryan affair, which coincided with the break-up of her marriage to Dennis Quaid, certainly did him some harm.

She is one of America's sweethearts and the wise potential superstar handles such with kid gloves. Apparently however, Crowe didn't possess any kid gloves and it was no coincidence that at this year's Oscar night, when he collected the award for best actor for his role in Gladiator, the host, Steve Martin, made him the butt of several sharp jokes concerning his love life. Crowe clearly didn't enjoy them, didn't even pretend to and spent much of the evening glowering.

Of course, the question is: does any of this really matter? What a man, even an actor, does in his private life is surely his own business; it's what he does on screen that counts. And by that token - bearing in mind, too, that memories are short - I stand by my original assessment: Crowe is a powerful and versatile actor who has it in him to go to the very top.

He first revealed his quality nine years ago as a neo-Nazi skinhead in the Australian film Romper Stomper, which so impressed Sharon Stone that she delayed the production of her western The Quick and the Dead (1995) until Crowe was free to appear in it. The movie itself was a mess but it helped Crowe land his eye-catching role in LA Confidential, after which everyone knew who he was.

In a sense, though, his true breakthrough picture was The Insider wherein, almost unrecognisable as a plumpish, balding, fiftyish executive who blew the whistle on the tobacco industry's nefarious practices, he stole the film from Al Pacino and won his first Oscar nomination. So, yes, he could certainly act. And then came Gladiator to prove that he also had the sheer physical presence to carry a picture himself and excite the women in the audience. As the Australian producer Al Clark once said, "He has the gravity and masculinity that are disappearing from leading men". Therein, perhaps, lies the crux of the matter. Most of today's male stars from Tom Cruise to Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio play down their masculinity in favour of their feminine side.
They are New Men and politically correct - Crowe appears to be neither of these things. He is, rather, an old-fashioned man's man, exuding testosterone, and as such the natural successor to the likes of Clint Eastwood and Sean Connery. They went on playing romantic action men until nearly 70; Crowe is only 37 and unrivalled in his age group, so the Connery and Eastwood roles seem to be his for the taking - if that's what he wants.

In his latest film, A Beautiful Mind, he plays a mathematician who recovers from schizophrenia to win the Nobel Prize. So perhaps acting, not action, man is what he aspires to be. Either way I still think he'll be a superstar. You wait and see. (Article thanks to Tilly and Arian, photo thanks to Sangeeta)

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe likes to play macho on screen. But in private Russell is longing for love and safety
by Elmar Biebl
InStyle (Germany)

(Note: this originally appeared in German.)

What strikes you at first sight is that his extra pounds have disappeared. There's not a trace of the round cheeks and the paunch any more that he had taken on for his role in "The Insider". The muscles of his chest and biceps that had rendered him a statue-like appearance in "Gladiator" are gone as well. He seems to know what I'm thinking and answers promptly that he is currently preparing for his role as math genius John Forbes Nash, he says, who was "only skin and bones." Crowe, who turned 37 this April 7th is dressed casually in an open shirt and the black pants and jacket that are usual in his business. The newly awarded Oscar winner appears self-confident and concentrated. His eyes are attentive, almost disappearing when he laughs in a roguish way. "Hi, mate" he salutes me with his sonorous voice, before he drops into an arm chair at the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles.

Question: Has anyone ever told you that your profile resembles Richard Burton's?
Russell: Yes. Meg Ryan told me. She saw "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor and Burton. She said I reminded her of Burton in "Gladiator". This is probably because we both were wearing sexy mini-skirts in these films.

Q: Or maybe it was because of the heroic aura of these two characters. Isn't a hero like this obsolete these days? RC: I think there have been heroes at all eras in history. Even these days we seem to have a need for idols and role models. Only nowadays, it's the stars from movies, pop, rock and sports that are fulfilling this need.

Q: Hollywood makes people like you -- who've been nominated for an Oscar -- an idol. Did you expect it? A: I never expect success. The success of a movie is not really predictable. But I am not surprised either when I'm successful. For I am working incredibly hard in the art form I have chosen.

Q: Will you be more choosy concerning your roles now? A: I have always been choosy. I had my first role when I was six years old. Ever since I have driven all the people around me crazy with my demands. It's not because I'm egocentric or something, but because I am taking my job seriously and therefore applying the highest possible standards.

Q: Your parents were probably extremely proud of you. Do you have time to visit them in Australia at all? A: To be honest, they are quite glad when I am not around. No, seriously, it's hell when I am home. Every time I'm there, our premises are being surrounded by all kinds of people. Some are even sneaking through the bushes. And if one of them gets bitten by one of our dogs then they complain about it to us.

Q: When you say "at home" you are talking about your parents' house? A: Yeah, my parents live in a very nice house. It's actually mine (laughs). My brother also lives there. To be precise, it's really a farm...

Q: Aren't you from New Zealand? A: I lived in New Zealand until I was four. Then we kept moving back and forth between New Zealand and Australia, until I was about 14 years old. We had moved about ten times by then and didn't even have a house. This is probably where I got my restlessness from. Nowadays I'm the king of the frequent flyers. Because I could afford it due to my job, I established the farm as my home base.

Q: How do Australians react to their famous fellow countryman? A: Australians are a very lucky-go-happy kind of people. This is refreshing. Simultaneously they are quite free and easy towards strangers. They are talking to me where ever I go, asking for an autograph or a snapshot. This is quite nice for a while, but in the long run it can be nerve-wracking. In New Zealand the people are much more British -- that is more reserved and guarded.

Q: So why don't you live in New Zealand? A: I feel more at home in Australia, and my family is one of the reasons for this. Plus, I need space to be able to breathe. And there's plenty of space in the Australian outback. And besides, in addition to our dogs there are lots of poisonous snakes and spiders there that are scaring away nosy people (smiles). Every time I'm there I don't have to drag more than two dead people out of the bushes....

Q: In "Gladiator" you play a man who is suffering because he is away from his wife and child. You are 37 and single. Are you afraid of marriage? A: Yes, I am unmarried, single, a bachelor. But not for fear of marriage. I have a picture perfect marriage in front of my eyes, namely my parents'. A couple of months ago they celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately I couldn't be there, but the least I could do was pay for their party (laughs).

Q: What about your desire for a wife and children? A: I am going to marry some day, I'm sure. And I'd like to become a father. Just in case you're wondering, I can assure you that I am practicing a lot.

Q: How do you react to the tabloids jumping on you? A: This is a sort of journalism that should be ignored.

Q: You accompanied Jodie Foster last year at the Golden Globes. Are the two of you friends? A: Jodie is a woman whom I admire very much. She has achieved so much as an actress already. And still she keeps searching for challenges. Plus, she has kept her own personality and dignity in that crazy Hollywood game, which really isn't easy. This is phenomenal. I am currently shooting a film directed by her, namely "Flora Plum" * I am playing a circus freak - this will probably be my last role and nobody is going to hire me again after that...(laughs)

Q: Big bucks are coming along with success. Is this something that drives you? A: No. My money is leading directly to my friends and my family in a ten lane highway. I don't have a feeling for money. And I have never ever made a decision in my life depend on money.

Q: Maximus, the character you embody in "Gladiator" can't wait to meet his family in the "after-life". Do you believe in life after death? A: When my grandfather died, I was in my kitchen in Sydney. All of a sudden a big, rare bird sat down on my windowpane. Then I heard from other family members that they were also visited by this bird. I am sure about one thing, there's a lot more than we can see, do or understand.

(Transcription and translation thanks to Ute. Photo thanks to Barbara W.)

Listed under the article: " www.maximumcrowe.com -- fan page of the star with daily news, many photos and information, as well as gruntland.com, the official website of Russell Crowe«s band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts." (Thanks to Andie)

Russell Crowe
An intimate portrait by the girl he loved and lost
Interview by Pamela Lesmond
Hello magazine (UK March 27, 2001)

Gladiator has made the Australian actor favourite for an Oscar this coming weekend, but the girl who knows him best reveals he is a softie at heart.

Far away from the bright lights of Hollywood, the great love of Russell Crowe's life is speaking about her relationship with the Oscar-nominated actor for the very first time.

Australian actress and singer Danielle Spencer was Russell Crowe's leading lady for five years and even today they still have a very close bond.

It was Danielle who stood by Russell's side when he recently retreated to the privacy of his Australian farm following his break-up with Meg Ryan. Indeed many have suggested he still holds a candle for the pretty blonde whose name is virtually unknown in Hollywood.

"Russell and I have a special relationship," is all Danielle will say when asked if there was a hope their romance might be rekindled. "He is gentle and kind and very caring. I hope we will always be close."

Ever since they met on the 1990 Australian film The Crossing, Danielle has always respected Russell's wish to keep his private life out of the press. The only reason she has agreed to speak out now is to hit back at negative reports about Russell's reputation as an insensitive womanizer who is sleeping his way to the top.

"It's all rubbish," says Danielle in her modest apartment in Sydney's inner eastern suburbs. "The problem is Russell has only got to have dinner with someone he's working with and he is paired up with them. You form very close friendships on film sets but that doesn't mean you are sleeping with your co-star."

Danielle says some stories are so off the mark she is determined to set the record straight on the man who will always have a special place in her heart.

Now in her late twenties, Danielle was barely out of school when she met Russell, then in his mid-twenties. She was dating someone else but Danielle was nevertheless attracted to Russell's generous, fun-loving nature.

"The director of The Crossing introduced us and then the film was postponed for about three months but we kept in touch during that time," says Danielle, adding that fellow cast member Robert Mammone would tag along on outings.

"The three of us would do things like go to the gym together, so we formed a bond before we even went on the set. I thought Russell was great fun and we really have him to thank for us all becoming so close because he was the one who initiated most of the outings. It's always important to him to try and establish a good, solid relationship with people he is working with."

Set in a small Australian country town, The Crossing is the story of a love triangle, with Danielle's character torn between her new boyfriend, played by Russell, and her old boyfriend, played by Robert.

"The love scenes were very confronting," says Danielle, recalling one scene in a dusty shed where she and Russell rolled around half naked in the hay. "I was so young and it was summer and very, very hot. The scene starts off with us kissing, but it gets pretty steamy and I end up with my top off before my dad walks in, obviously furious with his daughter."

Danielle says she never thought about Russell in a romantic sense at the time. "I had a boyfriend back in Sydney and when you have a crew around it's very difficult to get involved in the sexual aspect of the scene because it's sort of embarrassing. It was a closed set but it was still very nerve-wracking -- we were both very nervous and self-conscious. Russell is obviously an attractive guy but I just wasn't thinking along those lines at that point because it was a big movie for both of us and we were very focused on that."

Even after the movie was over, the romance between Russell and Danielle didn't develop until at least a year later. "We were both quite busy and scattered a bit, but we wrote a few letters and would phone each other and when we were in Sydney we would meet up," she says. "Our romance was a very gradual thing and it only really became possible when I split up from my boyfriend. Suddenly I was available and suddenly Russell could look at me in a different way."

After a romantic dinner in a Sydney restaurant and a drink back at his place, they had their first 'real-life' kiss. So, like many Hollywood actresses such as Sharon Stone, was she bowled over by Russell's good looks and raunchy sex appeal?

"I knew him so well before it got romantic that the things I liked about him were things other than his good looks or sex appeal," she says. "I'd gone beyond that stage."

Nevertheless, as their relationship developed, there was still plenty of room for romance. Russell would take her on cozy picnics in national parks and he always made a point of celebrating Valentine's Day. "One time we went to the Hunter Valley and stayed in a lovely guesthouse. It was so romantic," she says.

He even wrote songs about her and to this day proudly admits they were about the girl who stole his heart. While they pursued very public careers, they often enjoyed quiet weekends together far away from anyone else.

"Russell loves the country and spends as much time there as he possibly can," says Danielle. "He loves having a hideaway. He's a very private person and hates being photographed. When I look through my photo album, I can count the number of shots on one hand where we are together and he is full face, without his hand in front of the camera. It's amazing when you see him on the big screen, you'd never know. People get the wrong idea of Russell, he's actually very gentle, intelligent and loving."

But while Russell and Danielle seemed to be made for each other, it wasn't long before work commitments began to keep them apart.

"He had to go to Melbourne for a film soon after we got together but he would send me little gifts all the time," recalls Danielle. "I remember we once walked past a shop selling miniature dolls' house furniture and I said something about how I loved all that sort of thing. Well, he obviously remembered because when he went to Melbourne he kept sending me little bits and pieces - a miniature grand piano would arrive one day, then something else. He'd send funny toys and quirky things like those sponges you put in the bath and they blow up into animals when they're wet. He'd send things that would make you laugh, but he was just as capable of sending a beautiful bunch of red roses. He really is a very romantic and thoughtful person. He really knows how to make a girl feel special."

While they never officially lived together, Danielle would often stay in Russell's apartment while he was away filming and on his return they would spend precious time together. "He would cook for me - his speciality was a barbecue - and he'd surprise me by buying a whole lot of seafood and bringing it home to cook," she says. "I don't think many men are good at doing housework, but from what I remember he did his share. He was a bit messy but I think we both were!"

Danielle says they never fought but, as Russell began to explore the possibilities of a career in Hollywood, the pressure of constant separations put a strain on their relationship.

They tried to work through it, with Danielle traveling to America to spend time with Russell on the set of one of his first films there, The Quick and the Dead, shot in Arizona.

"People forget it can get lonely living on set on your own for several months, even though it might look fun and glamourous," says Danielle. "I think it was really grounding and very comforting for Russell to have someone special there with him, someone to say, 'Hi, how are you?' after a busy day shooting."

Russell tried to encourage Danielle to stay longer to pursue career opportunities there, but after much agonizing she decided against it. "I sometimes regret that," she says. "I possibly should have taken the opportunity to explore some career options over there and done some auditions. But I was working on other things back in Australia and I had a band there too so it was difficult for me to make the break. In a way I think I should have made the effort and stayed, but I didn't and maybe if I had I wouldn't be finishing my first album now which I'm really pleased about."

Apart from her musical career Danielle has worked on a number of acting projects including the Australian television series Pacific Drive since meeting Russell. But while she is a familiar face in Australia, she certainly doesn't share Russell's international fame and fortune. So does she ever feel any pangs of professional jealousy? "No, never!" she says. "I always felt that he deserved it. I have never ever seen anyone work as hard as Russell in my life. He is the most driven, hard-working person I have come across. I never doubted for a minute he would get there and I never ever resented it because I felt he deserved it and that he was a great actor. In fact, I couldn't see how he wouldn't get there. I'm very proud of him - I think he has done an amazing job."

Still, Russell's rise to the top came at a price. As their separations grew longer and more frequent, Danielle and Russell simply drifted apart.

"We never had 'the big breakup,' she says. "It was more that our lives went in different directions. There was no great dramatic end - we were both living our own lives."

Sadly, Danielle thinks the demands of an acting career will continue to put a strain on any future relationship Russell may have. "It's a problem for anyone in the entertainment industry, myself included," she says. "Russell always wanted to have a relationship like his parents but he knew it would be hard to attain. His parents have a very solid, ongoing companionship for years, but when you're separated all the time and you're thrown into weird situations it can be quite destructive to your relationship."

Danielle won't reveal whether Russell ever proposed marriage or whether they talked about having a family. "I was too young for marriage," is all she will say. "I wasn't in marriage or baby mode."

But she admits Russell has been clucky for years. "He genuinely loves kids. I've seen him with friends' children and you can tell he genuinely enjoys their company. You can see it in his face. He is also very thoughtful with pregnant women - I have seen him with friends of his when they are pregnant and he is very nurturing and caring."

So could she ever imagine having children with Russell? "I think he'd be a great father and if I'd been with him at a time when I wanted children, sure. But that wasn't the case."

Danielle prefers not to discuss whether she's dating anyone now but is keen to point out she wasn't the reason for the break-up between Russell and Meg. "I don't think my relationship with Russell has any bearing on his relationship with Meg and I think I can quite safely say I'm not the reason Russell and Meg have parted," she says.

The stories began circulating early this year after Danielle visited Russell on his farm. "I stayed too long according to the press reports," she says, adding she arrived after most of Russell's friends had left following his annual Christmas/New Year farm party.

"We had time to walk, talk, relax, read and enjoy," she says. "But we never discussed Meg when I was there. I didn't want to intrude on his privacy because I know he's so private and doesn't get a lot of time to just relax and enjoy himself."

While media reports have suggested Russell had a roving eye during his relationship with Meg, Danielle says she never feared he'd stray.

"He is a very loyal person," she says, adding it was one of the reasons their romance lasted as long as it did and they are still friends today.

"We have a lot in common, we both love acting and music, and we sort of understand each other," she says. "We have a really solid friendship." So does she think Russell still holds a candle for her? "You'll have to ask him that," she says with a smile.

(Thanks to Princes Sangeeta)