Russell Crowe

Born: 7th April 1964
Where: Wellington, New Zealand

The Kiwi-born movie star reached A-list celebrity status with his portrayal of Maximum Meridius in Ridley Scott's epic Gladiator.

He carried off a best actor Oscar for the role of the wronged warrior and was also nominated for an Academy Award for A Beautiful Mind and The Insider.

Crowe began his acting career aged six in the Australian TV series, Spyforce, after moving from New Zealand.

In 1978, as a young teenager he secured a role in the Australian TV series The Young Doctors, and in the same year his family returned to live in New Zealand.

It was at this stage that the young showman decided to explore his other talent - music. He began performing as a singer, billing himself as Rus Le Roq.

He actually released a single in New Zealand which was called I Want To Be Like Marlon Brando - a slight indication that he was not convinced about which career path to choose!

He formed a band called 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and at the age of 18 he returned to Australia to pursue his acting career.

In 1980, Crowe was cast in an Australian production of Grease, but it was another three years before he would tour with the stage production of The Rocky Horror Show.

Nine years later, during a stage performance in the musical Blood Brothers, he was spotted by director George Ogilvie, who gave him a part in his film debut Blood Oath / Prisoners of the Sun.

After a few TV roles and minor big screen parts, Russell won critical praise for his portrayal of the neo-Nazi Hando in the 1992 movie Romper Stomper.

He went on to attract attention for the noirish thriller LA Confidential and won accolades for the tobacco business thriller The Insider.

His next project skyrocketed Russell to unprecedented stardom: Gladiator, Ridley Scott's drama set in ancient Rome, in which Russell starred, landed him a Best Actor Oscar.

Outside film, he signed a contract with Artemis Records for an album by 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, who made their live debut in Austin, Texas.

In 2000, he landed unwanted publicity for his affair with Meg Ryan on the set of the otherwise foregettable Proof of Life.

The next year he starred as John Forbes Nash Jr, a mathematician who suffers with schizophrenia and who is awarded the Nobel Prize, in A Beautiful Mind, directed by Ron Howard.

For his convincing portrayal, Crowe received his third consecutive Best Actor Oscar nomination, as well as winning a BAFTA.

Recent work includes Peter Weir's accomplished swashbuckling seafaring yarn Master and Commander and the boxing biopic Cinderella Man.

However, Crowe attracted unwanted publicity for the latter when he allegedly struck a hotel clerk with a telephone during a row.