Russell Crowe

By 2001 Russell Crowe was a global star, thanks to award-winning performances in The Insider, Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. Born in New Zealand and raised on both sides of the Tasman, the Oscar winner continues to act in feature films. In 2014 he directed his first movie, Australian hit The Water Diviner. Once known as Auckland singer Russ le Roq, Crowe has also recorded music under a number of guises.

Physically I got damaged quite a bit. But if I’m gonna give as many 100 per cent shots as Ridley [Scott] can use, then I’ve got to get involved. I’ve got to get in the middle of it. Russell Crowe on making Gladiator, in a June 2000 Film Review interview