Russell Crowe

Russell Ira Crowe (born April 7, 1964) is an Oscar-winning film actor born in Wellington, New Zealand of Welsh, Norwegian and 1/16th Maori extraction. Two of his cousins, Martin and Jeff Crowe are former New Zealand cricket captains.

Related Topics:
April 7 - 1964 - Actor - Wellington - New Zealand - Welsh - Norwegian - Maori - Martin - Jeff Crowe - Cricket

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When he was four years old, his family moved to Australia where his parents pursued a career in filmset catering. He attended Sydney Boys High School. When he was fourteen, the family moved back to New Zealand, where he attend the Auckland Grammar School. He did not complete secondary school, leaving early to help his family financially.

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Australia - Sydney Boys High School - Auckland Grammar School

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After initial success in Australia, he began acting in American films in the 1990s; a three-time Oscar nominee, he won the Academy Award as Best Actor in 2001 for Gladiator, and he was also nominated for the Best Actor award for The Insider and A Beautiful Mind.

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Academy Award - Best Actor - 2001 - Gladiator - The Insider - A Beautiful Mind

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On April 7, 2003 (his 39th birthday), Crowe married his long-time love, Australian singer and actress Danielle Spencer. On December 21, 2003, their son Charles Spencer Crowe was born. He previously dated the American filmstar Meg Ryan, after they met whilst filming Proof of Life together.

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April 7 - 2003 - Danielle Spencer - Meg Ryan - Proof of Life

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He is a major supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.

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On March 9, 2005, Crowe revealed to GQ magazine that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents had approached him prior to the 73rd Academy Awards on March 25, 2001 and told him that the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap him. Crowe told the magazine that it was the first time he had ever heard of al-Qaeda (the September 11 attacks took place later that year) and was quoted as saying: "You get this late-night call from the FBI when you arrive in Los Angeles, and they're, like, absolutely full-on. 'We’ve got to talk to you now before you do anything. We have to have a discussion with you, Mr. Crowe.'" Crowe recalled that "it was something to do with some recording picked up by a French policewoman, I think, in either Libya or Algiers...it was about taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural-destabilization plan." Crowe was guarded by Secret Service agents for the next few months, both while shooting films and at award ceremonies (Scotland Yard also guarded Crowe while he was promoting Proof of Life in London in February 2001). Crowe said that he "never fully understood what the fuck was going on." The FBI confirmed Crowe's statement (which is uncharacteristic of the agency in that it usually does not comment to the media).

Related Topics:
March 9 - 2005 - GQ - Federal Bureau of Investigation - 73rd Academy Awards - March 25 - 2001 - Islamist terrorist group - Al-Qaeda - Kidnap - September 11 attacks - Los Angeles - Libya - Algiers - Secret Service - Scotland Yard - Proof of Life - London - Fuck

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