Russell Crowe won four awards for Best Actor for his 2000 performance.
Russell Crowe . He came to international attention for his role as the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator , directed by Ridley Scott , for which Crowe won an Academy Award for Best Actor , a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor , an Empire Award for Best Actor and a London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and 10 further nominations for best actor . Crowe appeared as the tobacco firm whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand in the 1999 film The Insider , for which he received five awards as best actor and seven nominations in the same category . Crowe 's work has earned him several accolades during his career and including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , three consecutive Academy Award nominations ( 1999 -- 2001 ) , one Golden Globe Award for Best Actor , one BAFTA , and an Academy Award .