He became a household name with his leading role in 2001’s Gladiator.
Playing a brave, upstanding warrior and a moral hero with right on his side, Russell Crowe instantly won over audiences – and critics – earning him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
A shocked and humble Russell took to the stage with glee to accept his award, admitting in his speech: ‘When you grow up in the suburbs of Sydney or Auckland, or Newcastle like Ridley or Jamie Bell, or the suburbs of anywhere, you know, a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable.;
The Kiwi actor, then 35, went on to admit winning the Oscar was ‘directly connected to those childhood imaginings’, in a speech that earned the star a standing ovation.
Yet what started off as a fairytale for Russell quickly descended into a nightmare.
Playing a brave, upstanding warrior and a moral hero with right on his side, Russell Crowe instantly won over audiences – and critics – with his role in the 2001 epic Gladiators
Yet what started off as a fairytale for Russell quickly descended into a nightmare (pictured in 2022)
Fresh off his Oscars win, Russell was considered Hollywood’s golden boy.
It was a longtime coming from the star, who was in his 30s when his first American film appeared and had been grafting for decades before.
Yet suddenly success seemed instant and just a few months after the release of Gladiator came his next critically acclaimed role, portraying mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. in the biopic A Beautiful Mind.
The film was universally praised and earned Russell another Oscar nomination, although this time he lost out to Denzel Washington for Training Day.
And it was during awards season that Russell started to crumble.
At the BAFTAs, where he scooped Best Actor, the following morning’s headlines were dominated not by his win, but by his fracas with a BBC executive, who dared cut short his acceptance speech in the broadcast version of the event.
Director Malcolm Gerrie was pinned to a wall by the New Zealander, who jabbed him in the chest and shouted: ‘You f*****g piece of s**t. I’ll make sure you’ll never work in Hollywood.’
That same evening, a fan who took Russell’s picture received a similar volley of abuse. ‘How dare you take my f*****g’ picture,’ he demanded. ‘Who gave you f*****g permission.’
It then emerged that Russell’s irrational, diva-like behaviour was also on display the previous night when he refused to be interviewed in front of other guests on the Parkinson Show.
Russell later apologised to the BBC exec, who claimed the actor phoned him to say: ‘My language was excessive because I was livid but I behaved inappropriately. I was over-reacting because I felt passionately about it at the time.’
The Kiwi actor, then 35, went on to win the Oscar for his role which he said was ‘directly connected to those childhood imaginings’, in a speech that earned the star a standing ovation
However, the incident wasn’t an isolated on for the star, who himself admitted that he spends a lot of time ‘telling people to f**k off and get out of my life’.
He blamed media ‘intrusion’ for detracting from his undoubted ability as an actor, yet others believed that his unenviable reputation was at least partly justified.
Geoffrey Wright, director of Romper Stomper, said: ‘Russell is the rudest actor I’ve ever met.’
Another commenter said at the time: ‘The tone of an interview with Russell Crowe depends very much on the mood he’s in at the time.
‘His bouts of surliness, his arrogance and his tendency to insult interviewers have gained him a reputation in Hollywood as an actor with ‘an attitude problem”.
Russell’s record company, however, insisted Russell is simply misunderstood.
After the Bafta controversy, they released a statement saying: ‘Russell is extremely polite and a good-natured character but then it seems he only relaxes when talking about his music. Russell can be a fiery character but he is deeply emotional.’
Despite this, as reports of Russell’s unsavoury behaviour began to swirl, past incidents of his quickly resurfaced.
Even before the height of his fame, it seemed there were stories about his aggressive streak.
In 1988 when Russell was starring in the musical Blood Brothers in Sydney, he fell out with co-star Peter Cousens who alleged Russell had tried to punch him in the dressing room.
In 1998, he provoked a fight in Alberta, Canada, after he enraged locals by branding the place ‘boring’. Then, two years ago he was caught on video in a scuffle in a bar near his ranch in Australia where witnesses said he became enraged after two local girls showed no interest.
Around the same time, during a nightclub brawl at Coff’s Harbour in Sydney, Russell is said to have bitten a chunk out of his victim’s face and spat it back at him, before being dragged to the ground by bouncers.
The pugnacious part of his character is not the only thing that created controversy for Russell.
His personal life was subject of much speculation and he was linked with at least two high profile Hollywood marriage break-ups.
In 2000, Russell became romantically involved with Meg Ryan on the set of the film Proof of Life. Shortly afterwards, she announced her ten-year marriage to actor Dennis Quaid was over.
When Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise split up, speculation mounted after Russell consistently provided Nicole with a shoulder to cry on, although he always insisted that the pair were just ‘best friends’.
Suddenly success seemed instant and just a few months after the release of Gladiator came his next critically acclaimed role in the biopic A Beautiful Mind
At the BAFTAs, where he scooped Best Actor, the following morning’s headlines were dominated not by his win, but by his fracas with a BBC executive
It was believed that when Russell welcomed his first child with Australian singer Danielle Spencer in 2003 that fatherhood had mellowed him.
However, just two years later he was charged by police with second degree assault after reportedly throwing a telephone at an employee of the Manhattan hotel where he was staying.
He got into an argument at the Mercer Street Hotel in the SoHo district of New York City shortly after 4am and threw the phone at the worker, police said.
The employee, who has not been identified, suffered minor lacerations and was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital, they said.
As a result of the attack, the public mood towards Russell had undeniably shifted and there was even a South Park episode titled The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer revolved around a lampooning of his aggressive tendencies.
Speaking about the backlash, Russell insisted it had been blown out of proportion.
He told American talk show host Charlie Rose in 2010: ‘I think it indelibly changed me. It was a very, very minor situation that was made into something outrageous.
‘More violence perpetuated me walking between the car to the courtroom with the waiting media than anything I’d done… it very definitely affected me… psychologically.’
Nowadays, Russell enjoys a quiet life. While he still stars in films, he has swapped Los Angeles for Sydney, where he resides with his girlfriend Britney Theriot (pictured at the Australian Open in 2023)
The actor is father to Charles, 20, and Tennyson, 17, with his ex-wife Danielle, and looks worlds away from his Gladiator character now
Nowadays, Russell enjoys a quiet life.
While he still stars in films, he has swapped Los Angeles for Sydney, where he resides with his girlfriend Britney Theriot.
The actor is father to Charles, 20, and Tennyson, 17, with his ex-wife Danielle, and looks worlds away from his Gladiator character now.
Now, Gladiator fans are waiting eagerly for the sequel, Gladiator II that will see Paul Mescal take on the leading role.
Due for release later this year, Paul takes on the role of Roman Empire Lucius Verus, the grown-up son of Lucilla, portrayed as a child in the Oscar-winning original from 2000.
As had been rumoured for years, the sequel will center on Lucius (Paul), the nephew of Commodus and son of Maximus’ former lover Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).
Lucius was previously portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark in the original Gladiator, who idolized Maximus for his battles.
The sequel will be set after Maximus’ death, following Lucius, who has long thought that his mother is dead.
Denzel Washington also stars as as a character who’s name has yet to be revealed, described as a former slave turned wealthy arms dealer who hates emperors.
The cast also includes Joseph Quinn as Emperor Caracalla, Fred Hechinger as Emperor Greta and Pedro Pascal in an unspecified role.
Original Gladiator stars Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) and Derek Jacobi (Senator Gracchus) are also slated to return.
The original classic earned $465 million worldwide from a $103 million budget and won five Oscars including Best Picture after its theatrical run in 2000.
Now, Gladiator fans are waiting eagerly for the sequel, Gladiator II that will see Paul Mescal take on the leading role
