"The important thing to me is that I'm not driven by people's praise and I'm not slowed down by people's criticism. I'm just trying to work at the highest level I can. "

Master Thespian Ready to Kick Some Ass!

Russell Crowe is an Academy Award winning actor, known for his roles in The Insider, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind.

Crowe spent his childhood in Australia while his parents worked in film set catering. He moved to New Zealand when he was 14 to attend Auckland Grammar School. However, he didn't not complete secondary school. When he was 21 he returned to Australia with the intentions of attending Auckland Gramme School.

Crowe began his career appearing in the television series, Neighbors and Living with the Law. In 1990 he was cast into his first film, The Crossing. Soon after his initial success Crowe began acting in American film. In 2001 he own Best Actor for his role in Gladiator. In the period from 1997-2003 Crowe earned two best picture nominations: LA Confidential and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Crowe has earned a reputation for having a bad temper, based on a number of altercations. During the filming of A Beautiful Mind on the campus of Princeton University, Crowe made an obscene gesture to a student he spotted photographing him. In 2005, Crowe was arrested for throwing a broken telephone at an employee at the Mercer Hotel in New York.

Crowe married Danielle Spencer on April 7, 2003. During the same year, their son Charles was born on December 21. The couple met during the filming of "The Crossing." In January 2006, the announced they were expecting their second son. Crowe also dated Meg Ryan after the filming of Proof of Life. At the time, Ryan was married to Dennis Quaid.

Crowe also has a music career. He was the lead singer for the Australian rock band, Odd Foot Of Grunts, which started in 1992. The band has various CD releases that are thankfully now out of print. More recently he has been collaborating with some members of his old band and Alan Dole of the band "Great Big Sea," to create a new band, The Ordinary Fear of God. The single, Raewyn, was released on April 19, 2005. The band also released an album entitled My Hand, My Heart for download on iTunes. Crowe directed the music video clip for his wife, Danielle Spencer's single Tickle Me from her album White Monkey.