Crowe, Russell (1964– )

New Zealand-born film actor. He is most famous for his macho starring roles in LA Confidential (1997) and in the record-breaking box office success Gladiator (2000), for which he won the 2001 Academy Award for Best Actor. He was widely acclaimed for his subtle dramatic performances in The Insider (1999) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).

A critically acclaimed character actor, he starred in the Australian dramas Proof (1991) and Romper Stomper (1992), the Westerns The Quick and the Dead and 3:10 to Yuma (2007), the historical drama Master and Commander (2003), and the boxing biopic Cinderella Man (2005).

He was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but moved to Sydney, Australia, with his family when he was four. His first professional acting role was an orphan on the television series Spyforce when he was six, and many small parts followed. When his family returned to New Zealand in 1978, he began performing rock music, independently as Rus le Roc and with a band that evolved into 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, with whom he remained associated throughout his acting career. He returned to Australia in the early 1980s and appeared on stage in the musicals Grease (1983), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1986–88), and Blood Brothers (1989). His first feature film was Blood Oath/Prisoners of the Sun (1990).