RUSSELL CROWE: HIS ILLUSTRIOUS FILM CAREER

I’ve had a thing for RUSSELL CROWE for as long as I can remember. That’s of no consequence now because he’s happily married to DANIELLE SPENCER and has a family.

Except for the fact that he’s a sharp dude, extremely handsome (those blue eyes) and has that fabulous accent, he’s not my usual type. When I’m looking for an actual relationship (as opposed to lusting after someone on screen that I may never meet in the light of day), I don’t go for rugged alpha males with big strong builds.

I’m a sucker for slender pretty boys. But even when they’re not arrestingly gorgeous, I’m attracted to sensitivity and guys that make me laugh.

(Sexiest thing in the world’s a sense of humour. No question in my mind.)

But RUSSELL is perhaps closer to all of that than I could imagine. He has spoken in interviews about being “a very emotional person”. That’s certainly not hard to believe.

Plus he told a hilarious story that I never forgot. When he was still in AUSTRALIA, he was cast in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, the play that the movie was based on. He portrayed DR. FRANK N. FURTER, the character made famous by TIM CURRY in the 70s.

So the play was going on and there was a guy in the front row that kept squirting RUSSELL with a kids’ toy water gun. After attempting to ignore it three times, RUSSELL had had enough. After he spoke one of his lines, he walked to the front of the stage and addressed the moron.

“Look, everyone’s here to watch the play. The rest of us are here to perform. You see this stiletto heel?”

RUSSELL showed him one of the high heels that he was wearing as part of his costume. “If you squirt me with that water pistol ONE MORE TIME, I’m going to stick this shoe right up your ass.”

There was no problem after that….

So I adore this man. Not only for his magnificent masculine presence. But for his incredible talent. He is one of the finest character actors of his generation. He will transform physically for a part and go to the wall to get the smallest detail right. That takes a great deal of courage as an artist and I have nothing but the deepest admiration for him.

Which leads me to our EW list (naturally) and all of the excellent films he’s made: LA CONFIDENTIAL, THE INSIDER, GLADIATOR, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, MASTER & COMMANDER, CINDERELLA MAN, A GOOD YEAR and 3:10 TO YUMA.

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