Trivia

Turned down the role of Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy since filming on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) would coincide with Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind (2001). However, Crowe really loved the idea of filming a movie in his home country, New Zealand, for an extended amount of time.

The role of James J. Braddock (Cinderella Man (2005)) is his personal favorite.

He turned down the role of Logan/Wolverine in X-Men (2000) because he did not want to play another similar role to the Maximus from Gladiator (2000), which he just completed. Crowe felt the characters were too similar by having the same animal totem - the wolf, and thought the movie was a cartoon, which it is not his cup of tea.

When his wife was pregnant with his first child Charles, he gave up drinking alcohol with her.

After filming Gladiator (2000), he and some friends took a 4,000 mile motorcycle trip around Australia.

He has appeared in six films that have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: L.A. Confidential (1997), The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) and Les Misérables (2012). Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind won in the category.

Quit smoking for the sake of his children in 2010, but subsequently relapsed.

Dropped out of high school.

Good friends with Nicole Kidman. She also mentioned him in her Oscar acceptance speech when she won Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Hours (2002).

Lost his front tooth playing rugby when he was ten. Never got it fixed until, at the insistence of the director for The Crossing (1990), who paid for it out of his own pocket.

When Crowe's acceptance speech for his Best Actor award during the British Film Awards was edited, Crowe shoved the producer of the show, Malcolm Gerrie, against a wall and cursed at him, telling him: "Who on Earth had the... audacity to take out the best actor's poem? I'll make sure you never work in Hollywood." He later issued a full apology.

Initially turned down L.A. Confidential (1997) because he doubted whether he could convincingly play such a tough character.

Tried a music career as a rockabilly singer sporting a large pompadour hairdo, playing under the name Russ Le Roq. Titled his first single, "I Want to Be Like Marlon Brando". Later admitted that he had never even seen a Brando movie when he wrote and recorded the song. Ironically, he went on later to play Jor-El in Man of Steel (2013), the same character that Brando iconically performed in Superman (1978).

Took violin lessons in preparing for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) because his character, Jack Aubrey, played the violin several times during the movie.

Owns a 560-acre farm in 7.5 hours North-West from Sydney.

Became a father for the 1st time at age 39 when his wife Danielle Spencer gave birth to their son Charles Spencer Crowe on December 21, 2003.

He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Australian society and Australian film production.

Once he was cast as Bud White in L.A. Confidential (1997), he read in the book that his character was the largest cop on the police force, off-putting for him due to his medium-sized frame (just under 6 feet). To capture a "big guy" presence, Crowe lived in a tiny flat in which he could barely fit through any of the doors. This experience, he said, made him come to the set feeling like a giant.

Has indicated an interest in taking out Australian citizenship due to the amount of time and energy he spends Down Under (keeping his New Zealand citizenship as well).

His ancestry includes English, German, Irish, Maori, Norwegian, Scottish, Swedish, Welsh, and 1/32 Italian. Russell's paternal grandfather was from Wrexham, Wales. Russell's maternal great-grandmother, Erana Putiputi Hayes Heihi, was Maori, and as a result, he is registered on the Maori electoral roll in New Zealand.

Proudly displayed his grandfather's British Honours medal (MBE) while making his Oscar Winner speech in 2001.

He wrote a song about Jodie Foster called "Other Ways of Speaking" with his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.

Became a father for the 2nd time at age 42 when his wife Danielle Spencer gave birth to their son Tennyson Spencer Crowe on July 7, 2006.

Lives in a penthouse on Woollomoollo Wharf in Sydney, the Penthouse was reportedly sold to Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer for over $13.75 million.

Jodie Foster considers him a very good friend.

Despite liking the script very much, turned down About a Boy (2002).

Following his involvement in a brawl in a London restaurant, Russell stated that he was under a lot of stress and announced that he was going back to Australia to relax and spend more time with his father and his longtime girlfriend singer, Danielle Spencer. (November 2002)

Was among the guests at Nicole Kidman's and Keith Urban's wedding

His performance as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider (1999) is ranked #23 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Cousin of former New Zealand international cricketers Jeff Crowe and Martin Crowe.

A Beautiful Mind (2001) is ranked #93 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time (2006).

First lead role when he was 25.

Gained 63 pounds for his role in Body of Lies (2008).

Has starred in three films based on articles from Vanity Fair magazine. The Insider (1999) was based on a story by Marie Brenner named "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Proof of Life (2000) was based on the article "Adventures in the Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau. A Beautiful Mind (2001) was originally published in Vanity Fair as an excerpt of Sylvia Nasar's book about John Forbes Nash.

(August 16, 2001) He and his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992).

Lobbied California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger against executing Stanley "Tookie" Williams. (December 2005)

Crowe's maternal grandfather, Stan Wemyss, was a cinematographer who, according to Crowe, produced the first film by New Zealander Geoff Murphy and was also named an MBE for filming footage of World War II.

Was accepted into the prestigious drama school, The National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in Sydney.

Is a huge fan of English Football side Leeds United AFC.

Discovered by British actor and musical director/writer Daniel Abineri, who gave Crowe his first professional acting role in a New Zealand tour of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Abineri later awarded Crowe the title role in his first stage musical, "Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom", which premiered in Melbourne in 1989.

He has appeared in one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: L.A. Confidential (1997).

Is a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL.

According to Forbes magazine, his movies averaged $5 of gross income for every dollar the actor got paid, making him the most overpaid celebrity in the business. (December 2007)

In June 2010 Crowe, who started smoking when he was ten, announced that he had quit his 60-a-day habit. This attempt later proved unsuccessful, and in November 2010 he admitted that he was still smoking heavily.

On June 7, 2006, he formed a partnership with Australian businessman Peter Holmes a Court to buy a controlling stake in his favorite sports team, the Australian NRL team South Sydney Rabbitohs.

He is one of three actors who starred in a Best Picture Oscar winning film two years in a row. His winners were Gladiator, Best Picture of 2000, and A Beautiful Mind, Best Picture of 2001. The other two actors were Clark Gable: It Happened One Night, 1934, Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935, and Walter Pidgeon: How Green Was My Valley, 1941, Mrs. Miniver, 1942.

Formed a new band, named The Ordinary Fear of God.

Met spouse, Danielle Spencer in 1989 when they co-starred in the film The Crossing (1990). Their co-star of the film, Robert Mammone (The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003)), was one of Crowe's groomsmen at their wedding.

Is close friends with Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Turned down the role of Sgt. Norm "Hoot" Hooten in Black Hawk Down (2001) due to scheduling conflicts.