Russell Crowe is an actor.
Russell Ira Crowe ( born 7 April 1964 ) is an actor , film producer and musician . 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 . In 2001 , Crowe 's portrayal of mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John F. Nash in the biopic A Beautiful Mind brought him numerous awards , including a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role . Crowe 's other films include Romper Stomper ( 1992 ) , L.A. Confidential ( 1997 ) , Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World ( 2003 ) , Cinderella Man ( 2005 ) , American Gangster ( 2007 ) , State of Play ( 2009 ) , Robin Hood ( 2010 ) , Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , Man of Steel ( 2013 ) and Noah ( 2014 ) . 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 .