On the eve of 'American Gangster,' we look back at Russell Crowe's roller-coaster life and career

By Frank Paiva
Special to MSN Movies

MSNBC: Movie Tough Guys

Russell Crowe, the actor we love to watch beating people up both on and off the screen, is back in full force with three releases designed to turn his career around. There's the acclaimed, very successful Western remake "3:10 to Yuma"; the serial killer and teen runaway thriller "Tenderness"; and the most highly anticipated of all, the epic-crime drama "American Gangster," which has the press throwing the "Oscar" word around.

"Gangster" will pair Denzel Washington and Crowe together for the first time since 1995's terrible sci-fi thriller "Virtuosity." While Washington was already a star back then, Crowe's rise to fame has been remarkably swift since that film. Twelve years later, he's a major Hollywood player thanks to a small but strong slate of releases -- and some offscreen controversy.

In between movies, Crowe has received a lot of negative press attention for his often violent antics, but these transgressions have yet to deter the public. Getting nominated for the Best Actor Oscar in three consecutive years makes it easy to forget anger management issues for both lovers of good acting and award-seeking production studios. At the end of the day, a virtuoso performance beats all real-life punches the man can throw.

While most people associate Crowe with being Australian, he was actually born in New Zealand. When he was 4, his family moved to Sydney, where his parents expanded their film set catering business. Daily life on the set inspired young Crowe to pursue a career in show business.

After dabbling in music, theater and television, Crowe landed his first big break in 1991's underrated "Proof," which garnered him an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actor. The following year, he took home the Institute's Best Actor prize for playing a skinhead in "Romper Stomper." The dark portrayal won Hollywood's attention. Crowe began appearing in a series of ill-fated American releases in 1995, including "The Quick and the Dead," "No Way Back," "Rough Magic," and the aforementioned "Virtuosity."

Crowe's major Hollywood arrival was "L.A. Confidential." The acclaimed film noir didn't just benefit Kim Basinger, who followed through on her first and probably only chance at an Oscar. The actor saw interest in his career grow by leaps and bounds. After the typical misfires of early stardom (bad play adaptations, underdog sports flicks) he landed a role in Michael Mann's ripped-from-the-headlines drama "The Insider." Crowe's turn as former tobacco executive Jeffrey Wigand remains, in many ways, his most accomplished performance.

"The Insider" rests entirely on Crowe's shoulders. It depends on the audience's empathy with Wigand's moral struggle in the middle of a media and legal firestorm. There's a key scene between Crowe and co-star Al Pacino early on in a Japanese restaurant where both characters quietly but deliberately lay themselves out on the table. The exchange is typical of both men's acting styles. Pacino is yelling in his scene partner's face. Crowe is plainspoken but defiant, as if a volcano were about to burst out from under his skin. It's truly magical stuff. The depiction netted the star his first Oscar nomination. He lost the award to Kevin Spacey in "American Beauty."

The following year, Crowe created what will likely remain his most enduring role: Roman general Maximus in the swords and sandals epic "Gladiator." Grieving for his family and betrayed by an arrogant prince, Crowe is a volatile mix of aching mourner and fierce warrior. His hot-blooded behavior is anchored in pain and hopelessness. His character has nothing to lose, making him all the more dangerous to his enemies and all the more exciting to his audiences. The masses are able to see in Maximus a part of themselves striving toward glory and fame, however fleeting. This time Crowe took home the Oscar. "Gladiator" won four more Oscars, including Best Picture.

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