Russell Crowe is a versatile New Zealand / Australian actor who has appeared in a variety of types of films. He started his acting career on the stage in Australia and after a few small roles in films and television got his first break into films with Romper Stomper. His first Hollywood film was director Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead. This was followed by L A Confidential, which was a commercial and critical success. His performance in The Insider gained him a Best Actor Oscar nomination in a dramatic rather than action role. Gladiator was a big historical epic, was his first film with director Ridley Scott and won him the Best Actor Oscar. A Beautiful Mind was a film of John Nash's life from director Ron Howard where he played a complex character and gained him a Best Actor nomination. Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World was a return to action films. Cinderella Man was a boxing biopic. A Good Year was another Ridley Scott film, whilst 3:10 to Yuma was a return to the western genre. American Gangster, Body of Lies and Robin Hood were all directed by Ridley Scott. He then appeared in the musical Les Miserables. Noah is a strange take on the story but was a big epic, though not a success commercially. The Water Diviner was the first feature film he directed.
