What is Russell Crowe's Net Worth and Salary?
Russell Crowe is an acclaimed actor, film producer, and musician with a net worth of $120 million. Rising to international fame with his Academy Award-winning role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in 2000's "Gladiator," he has acted in numerous critically acclaimed films including "The Insider," "A Beautiful Mind," and "Cinderella Man." Besides acting, Russell has explored his musical talents with bands like 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and Russell Crowe & The Ordinary Fear of God. Moreover, since 2006, he has co-owned the South Sydney Rabbitohs, a National Rugby League team.
Early Life
Born on April 7, 1964, in Wellington, New Zealand, Russell Ira Crowe's parents, Jocelyn and John, were film set caterers, and his father was also a hotel manager. With a cinematographer grandfather and relatives who played cricket, Crowe's roots are steeped in diverse talents. His family moved to Sydney, Australia, when Russell was 4, where he made his acting debut on a 1972 episode of "Spyforce." He attended Vaucluse Public School and Sydney Boys High School before his family returned to New Zealand when he was 14. There, he attended Auckland Grammar School and later Mount Roskill Grammar School, which he left at 16 to pursue an acting career.
Acting Career
Russell Crowe began his professional acting career in 1986 with a New Zealand production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," playing Eddie and Dr. Scott for two years, then reprising his role in Australia. He played notable roles in "Blood Brothers" and "Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom." In 1987, Crowe appeared in the Australian soap "Neighbours" and made his film debut with "The Crossing" in 1990. Noteworthy performances in "Blood Oath," "Proof," and "Romper Stomper" won him Australian Film Institute awards. He ventured into Hollywood in 1995, starring in movies with prominent actors like Denzel Washington, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Crowe received Academy Award nominations for "The Insider," "Gladiator," and "A Beautiful Mind" and starred in over 40 films, including "Master and Commander," "American Gangster," and "Les Misérables." He returned to TV in 2019 to play Roger Ailes in "The Loudest Voice."
Notable Salaries
Russell Crowe has amassed considerable wealth from his acting career. He earned $5 million for "Gladiator" and $7.5 million for "Proof of Life" in 2000. In 2001, he made $15 million for "A Beautiful Mind" and another $20 million for "Master and Commander" in 2003. His role in "Cinderella Man" in 2005 fetched him $15 million, and he earned another $20 million for "Robin Hood" in 2010. Over 15 years from 2000 onwards, Crowe accrued over $150 million in base movie salaries.
Music Career
Known as "Russ Le Roq" in the early 1980s, Crowe managed Auckland’s The Venue and released singles like "I Just Wanna Be Like Marlon Brando." He formed the band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts in 1992, which released several albums and a live DVD. The band disbanded in 2005, and Crowe then collaborated with Canadian musician Alan Doyle, forming the band Russell Crowe & The Ordinary Fear of God. This group went on a sold-out U.S. tour. In 2017, Crowe and Doyle formed a new band called Indoor Garden Party featuring Samantha Barks, Scott Grimes, and Carl Falk.
Personal Life
Russell Crowe married Australian singer Danielle Spencer on April 7, 2003. They have two sons, Charles and Tennyson. The couple separated in 2012 and finalized their divorce in April 2018. Crowe held an auction titled "The Art of Divorce," raising $3.7 million from selling memorabilia.
Crowe’s personal life includes incidents of altercations. In 2005, he was arrested after throwing a telephone at a hotel concierge in New York City, resulting in charges of assault and weapon possession.
Philanthropy
While filming "Cinderella Man" in Canada, Crowe donated to a Jewish school after an anti-Semitic firebombing and contributed $200,000 to an Australian primary school for a swimming pool. He raised $400,000 for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service during Australia’s 2019 bushfires.
Awards and Honors
Crowe has garnered numerous awards including an Academy Award, four Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2009, Australia Post issued commemorative stamps featuring Crowe, and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
Real Estate
In 2001, Crowe purchased a waterfront home in Sydney for $9.2 million, selling it for $11.5 million in 2013. He and Danielle Spencer bought a Woolloomooloo penthouse for $14.35 million in 2003 and a Rose Bay mansion for $10 million in 2011. After their divorce, Crowe transferred the Rose Bay home to Spencer. He also owns property in New South Wales affected by the 2019 bushfires.