Crowe's prickly character nowhere to be seen on Mid-North film set Kind, charming and generous. The Russell Crowe Advertiser reporter Callie Watson got to see during a visit to the set of Crowe's new film Photo: Mark Brake Source: News Limited Crowe on horseback, holding a bag in his right hand the whole way during the filming of a marathon, single shot spanning 20 minutes. Pic Mark Brake Source: News Limited I THOUGHT I would feel a sense of relief and excitement, but was instead beset with panic and nerves. We had spent the past 24 hours trying to photograph and score an interview with Russell Crowe, the Hollywood superstar who had made the small town of Burra his temporary home while filming The Water Diviner. After all, it's not every day an actor of his calibre, filming their directorial debut, is spotted in country SA. When we finally did see him, when he walked unexpectedly into the White Cedars Café Indonesian restaurant at about 10pm Wednesday night as we ate nearby, my heart started racing. He sat on a table outside, enjoying a big serve of nasi goreng surrounded by colleagues. How did photographer Mark Brake and I approach him? Did we interrupt his dinner after a long, hard day on the set and try to strike up a conversation? Or did Mark, with his camera nearby, just take a paparazzi-style photo? We didn't consider ourselves paparazzi and ruthlessly chasing celebrities didn't sit well with us. Instead, we approached Crowe when he had almost finished his dinner. We told him we were from the Adelaide paper, that we would love a shot of him in SA and the opportunity for a quick chat. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Crowe on his love of SA and his film The Water Diviner He was polite and courteous and told us that it had been a long day at work and he was simply not interested. He said he was leaving Burra early the next morning and wanted to eat in peace, before asking for our names and shaking our hands firmly. Thanks for your time and enjoy your meal were our parting words. I hardly slept that night, anxious we had let our chance with Crowe slip by. Fortunately, the next morning, we spotted a convoy of production trucks leaving Burra and followed them to the set at Australia Plains, about 100km north of Adelaide. There was Crowe, standing on a dusty track, talking with camera crew about the day's filming. Mark took a few shots from a distance, before he was approached by one of Crowe's assistants and asked to leave. Crowe, however, called out and gestured for Mark to come closer. Is that Mark? You can let him on. I was also allowed on to the set and addressed by name. I couldn't believe he had remembered Callie, an unusual name that many who know me well struggle to pronounce. He gave us a quick tour of the picturesque church they were using for some shots, told us about the horse riding scene he was about to shoot and gave Mark detailed directions about where to stand for the best photo. Behind the scenes, he was firm with his direction, but kind and relaxed, laughing with crew members in between cigarettes. When I caught him for an interview between takes, he firmly shook my hand, and said 'Callie, nice to see you again'. He smiled broadly, spoke passionately about the film and his time SA in his deep, unmistakable voice. Crowe was as handsome close-up as he is on the big screen and the old-fashioned costume and neatly-trimmed beard suited him to a tee. Although not as tall as I had thought, he was charismatic with a strong presence- one which made me both excited and nervous- and generous with his time. Our conversation was short- it lasted about five minutes- but one I won't forget in a hurry. There was no sign of the prickly character often reported in the tabloids and gossip magazines. Then again, we had respected his privacy the night before. We did the only thing we saw decent- letting a hardworking man eat his restaurant dinner in peace. It's a privilege most of us take for granted and isn't always afforded this Oscar-winner in a celebrity-crazed society. He seemed to appreciate it the next day.