Russell Crowe, who turns 59 today (April 7), has a reputation for being a hothead after incidents such as a brawl with a wealthy businessman in a celebrity-heavy fight broken up by Ross Kemp.
Russell Crowe has a particular flair for playing characters with violent tendencies in his illustrious acting career
His portrayals of hotheads in Romper Stomper and LA Confidential were frighteningly convincing.
In another case of life imitating art, the actor’s infamously fiery temper led to a public brawl.
Crowe, who was born in New Zealand and turns 59 today (April 7), allegedly got into a fight with a millionaire businessman from his homeland in 2002 at London’s swanky Zuma restaurant.
Crowe ran into Eric Watson, once one of New Zealand’s wealthiest men, at a Knightsbridge restaurant.
According to The Sun, the pair fought in the restrooms before moving on to the bar.
Crowe, according to Watson’s friends, made racist taunts for which he refused to apologize and then punched Watson twice in the face.
According to reports, the Gladiator actor, whose South Sydney Rabbitohs finished last in the National Rugby League, first congratulated Watson on his team’s second-place finish.
However, they added that things quickly soured between the Kiwi rivals after the actor allegedly referred to Watson’s New Zealand Warriors as a “bunch of coconuts.”
According to a friend who spoke to the Sunday Mirror: “Eric got up to use the lavatory and Russell followed. He could tell by his tone of voice and aggressive manner that he was looking for a fight.
“He started laying into Eric’s club and said they were ‘a bunch of coconuts’. This is a real insult in New Zealand – and even more of a cheek coming from an ex-pat Kiwi.
“Just because he’s living in Australia he shouldn’t forget where he came from.”
But it was Watson who allegedly won the fight after knocking Crowe to the ground and landing a flurry of blows.
In an unusual turn of events, another famous face who happened to be at the restaurant was reportedly forced to intervene to end the brawl.
EastEnders actor Ross Kemp reportedly intervened between the men until police arrived to deal with them.
At the time, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told the BBC: “Police were called at 0042 GMT on 13 November to reports of an altercation involving two men believed to be in their 30s.
“No allegations of a crime were received, there were no injuries and there will be no further police action.”
Following the altercation, Watson told the Daily Mirror: “I feel pretty embarrassed about what has happened. I’m still in shock from it all. I want to make it clear I’m not a violent man. I’m not a thug. I’m a respectable businessman.”
However, the “respectable businessman” has fallen from grace in recent years due to a string of financial issues.
The liquidators of his failed Cullen Investments are currently pursuing him for a $57 million repayment, and in 2020 UK courts sentenced him to four months in prison for contempt of court for withholding information about his assets from former business partner Sir Owen Glenn.
He was also charged with insider trading in the United States in 2021.
Meanwhile, Crowe’s altercation with Watson was not his first or last outburst.
He was accused of headbutting customers at an Australian hotel bar in 1999. In 2002, he allegedly yelled at a BAFTA Awards producer in a storage cupboard after his Best Actor acceptance speech was cut short.
In 2005, the actor was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly throwing a phone at a hotel concierge in New York.
The incident solidified his reputation as one of Hollywood’s bad boys, earning him the moniker Jerkus Maximus.
However, the actor later apologized to TV host David Letterman, saying: “This is possibly the most shameful situation I’ve ever gotten myself in in my life, and I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my life”.
Crowe insists that his infamous temper has been replaced by a calmer demeanor, and it’s all because of fatherhood.
According to the father of two told the Daily Mail: “I’ve settled for a quieter life as a responsible father. I’ve grown up and I’m a family man all the way through.”
He added: “Anyone who comes in for that onrush of attention, is going to have to handle it in their own way, which is hard, and there’s no way you can prepare for it. But these days, I have a little bit more balance and I understand it more.”
