Russell Crowe Discusses "A Beautiful Mind" and His Not-So Beautiful Life
Just mention the name Russell Crowe to any female ages 16 to 50 and chances are that they will swoon. The accent, the rugged good looks, the body... it’s enough to make any woman desire him and every man wish he was him. And why not? The New Zealand native has taken Hollywood by storm since co-starring in 1997’s “L.A. Confidential,” and ever since his Oscar winning performance in last year’s “Gladiator” has become one of Hollywood’s most sought after (and highly paid) actors. With millions of women at his feet (and millions of scripts on his doorstep), one would think that all of Crowe’s dreams are coming true. After all, not only he is one of Hollywood’s most successful actors, but he also has successfully made the jump from television to film and now to music with his band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. In fact, his band’s documentary was recently sold to Miramax and is premiering at Sundance this January. However, when asked if the life he lives today was everything he dreamt of as a child, Crowe is quick to retort that in reality it’s “a f#$king nightmare.”
Granted Crowe said the above statement with a laugh, but it wasn’t one of those laughs that just comes naturally-- it was, to an extent, forced. If one took a closer look at the Academy Award winning actor’s persona, chances are that they could easily understand why his life may not be so heaven sent. Ever since his forbidden romance with former American Sweetheart Meg Ryan, the press has been quick to tear Crowe apart. He’s been called a home-wrecker, a jerk and basically every other name in the book, and fingers are always quick to point in his direction whenever the topic comes up on what led to Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s dissolved marriage. The press also has a tendency to play up Crowe’s straight-forwardness, making the actor seem like a relatively short-tempered man. Rumors constantly float around about his personal life, ranging from fist fights he’s supposedly started to the co-stars he’s supposedly romantically persuaded despite an obvious lack of interest from the female party. Add to all this the fact that Crowe remained completely straight-faced at the 2001 Academy Awards while those around him laughed histarically at the jokes Steve Martin was making made many viewers at home start to question his ability to take a joke. Despite all this though, Crowe isn’t bitter towards the press or the public. In fact, he doesn’t even think he’s misunderstood.
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