Originally an Australian actor, Russell Crowe has been one of the busiest and most successful actors since the late 1990s. The variety of characters he portrayed during his career is a testament to his versatility and mastery. He is the type of actor who gives a great performance in almost every film in which he appears. He is as convincing as a positive hero and as a villain.
Hando – Romper Stomper (1992)
Long before Crowe became a Hollywood star, he gained recognition and attention for his performance in the Australian drama Romper Stomper. Crowe plays the skinhead leader of a neo-Nazi group, who tries to “clean up” his surroundings by force.
Bud White – LA – Top Secret (1997)
Crowe’s big breakthrough in Hollywood was his role in the star-studded crime drama LA – Top Secret. The film is a Chinatown-style thriller and focuses on three very different Los Angeles detectives circling the same case. Crowe plays Bud Whit, a dedicated but violent detective who is willing to “bend” the rules to bring criminals to justice.
Jeffrey Wigand – Insider: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1999)
Crowe received his first Oscar nomination for this fascinating drama inspired by a true story. He plays Jeffrey Wigand, a researcher at the Tobacco Company, who violates the confidentiality agreement in order to appear on television and warn of the dangers of the tobacco company.
Maximus – Gladiator (2000)
Despite all the other films, after more than twenty years, Maximus remains Crowe’s most famous role. The role of a betrayed Roman general, who is sold into slavery as a gladiator, where he subsequently inspires others to fight together and gain freedom, made Crowe famous all over the world. The Oscar statue was just one piece of evidence of how well Crowe portrayed his role.
John Nash – Pure Soul (2001)
The film, for which Crowe was awarded the Golden Globe, a BAFTA award and an Oscar nomination. An impressive biographical story of the mathematician John Nash, whose brilliant mind was plagued by mental illness.
Jim Braddock – Heavy Weight (2005)
Another film inspired by real events. Jim Braddock was once a successful boxer, but during the Great Depression he got into existential problems, as did many other Americans. When he returned to the ring, he became a symbol of hope for the oppressed.
Ben Wade – 3:10 Flat do Yumy (2007)
Although Westerns are not as popular as they used to be, modern jewels sometimes appear in this genre. Such a gem is the 3:10 Train to Yuma, in which Christian Bale plays a rancher hired to transport the dangerous outlaw Ben Wad. Wade is the type of man who will enchant you at one moment and cut your neck the next.
Richie Roberts – American Gangster (2007)
One of the films in which Crowe collaborated with director Ridley Scott is the story of the criminal boss Frank Lucas. Thanks to his heroin trade, Lucas is gradually becoming the biggest gangster in Harlem, New York. Crowe plays the selfless detective Ritchie Roberts, who tirelessly tries to catch him.
Robin Hood – Robin Hood (2010)
After a spectator-attractive film with Kevin Costner from the early 1990s, it was a more realistic depiction of the famous English bandit, whom this film shows more as a human being, not just as a hero.
Javert – The Paupers (2012)
The Oscar adaptation of the famous novel Les Misérables brought a great epic story of justice to the screen. The main role of the man released from prison, who is trying for a better life, was played by Hugh Jackman, but he is haunted by a determined law enforcement officer, Javert, who wants him to return to prison. He is firmly and steadfastly convinced that the law is right, which makes him blind to what is really right and what is not.
Source: vulture.com
Author: Martina Šťastná
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