Crowe on "60 Minutes"

email this story
read comments (17)
post a comment

The highlights of Russell Crowe's "60 Minutes' interview with Steve Kroft are all here. Fascinating stuff -- you can't just watch one clip. I liked Crowe's statement that in Australia, the phone-throwing thing would have been resolved "with an apology and a handshake." You know...the way John Wayne would've handled the after-effects of a fist fight in a John Ford film.

But in the world we're contendng with over here (and this is HE speaking, not Crowe)...a world filled with manly hotel employees who say "whatever" when a customer has a problem and then run to their attorneys looking for a cash set- tlement to help them get over the shock of their little-bitch attitude coming right back at them, things are different.

"Jessa James" date?<< previous | next >>Del Toro on pain

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 6, 2006 at 2:01 PM

comment #1

D.Z. says ...

Why are Crowe's whiny antics any more acceptable than those of Cruise and Gibson?

Posted by D.Z. at November 6, 2006 2:42 PM

comment #2

Joshua Mooney says ...

Russell Crowe: Good actor, asshole of a human. What a surprise.

Adrienne Shelley was MURDERED for complaining about construction noise in NYC. That I actually care about. I did the same thing two days ago (the complaining, that is).

Posted by Joshua Mooney at November 6, 2006 3:09 PM

comment #3

donnyboy says ...

I've been down under....

a) At a hotel when a guest insulted the manager and threatened him, he was asked to leave, no handshake (how silly), and then given a once over by a cop

b) If he was not Russell Crowe, his punk ass would have been taken out and beaten, by the staff for tossing a phone.

The guy is nuts. Nothing was/is his fault.
And if Russell thinks HE is a victim than the word "victim" has changed its meaning.

Posted by donnyboy at November 6, 2006 3:10 PM

comment #4

Mark says ...

By far the best line of the interview, was when Wallace asked if he wished he hadn't blown his top re: throwing the phone:

"There are times when I wish I hadn't done it. There are times when I feel com... compelled to do it. If you asked me, would I do it again, do I think it's worth it? Yeah I think its worth it."

Posted by Mark at November 6, 2006 3:44 PM

comment #5

VoiceOfReason says ...

The only thing fucked about the American legal system is a celeb like Crowe can get off with a slap on the wrist. HeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a douche bag and A GOOD YEAR will tank.

Posted by VoiceOfReason at November 6, 2006 4:17 PM

comment #6

TKC says ...

At least according to this item, Crowe's whole "handshake-and-an-apology" idea was proposed by the concierge, but Crowe's people blew him off:

http://www.radaronline.com/fresh-intelligence/2005/06/24/index.php

Posted by TKC at November 6, 2006 4:33 PM

comment #7

Dixon Steele says ...

The movie has already flopped in the UK, where you'd think Scott's name would mean something.

Does this make Crowe's name poison?

Posted by Dixon Steele at November 6, 2006 4:54 PM

comment #8

berg says ...

when you're paying 4-grand a day for a hotel suite I think you should get a little service

Posted by berg at November 6, 2006 5:04 PM

comment #9

nola says ...

this is the type of movie I would see opening weekend (yes, I'm at a point in my life, where I question working in this business) but the ads are horrible.

Posted by nola at November 6, 2006 5:06 PM

comment #10

Spacelamb says ...

The response here in Australia was pretty funny. Newspapers all referred to Crowe as "New Zealand born actor Russell Crowe" and everyone was disgusted at his antics, and comparing him unfavourably with the lovely Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchette. Then the price of the hotel, the amount of time the 'phone had been broken and the large financial settlement were reported and people started to feel differently. Crowe became another spoiled star with pathetic ways of coping, but his reasons made a bit more sense. I don't agree with his response but, judging by the over-the-top tantrums I've witnesed myself in response to percieved poor service, I think a lot of people *are* on his side. That said, I think A Good Year will be sluggish at the BO and he needs another action movie to get him back on top. We all know he can act, so we don't need to be awed by his range in some romantic trifle. I just want to see him shoot somebody!

Posted by Spacelamb at November 6, 2006 5:33 PM

comment #11

Hallick says ...

The problem with Crowe is that he loves being perfectionistic about everything everybody else does, but not when it comes to considering that he makes mistakes at times too. I think that's why he comes off like a jerk instead of somebody who's a little untamed at times since, to listen to him, it's ALWAYS the tabloids' fault, its ALWAYS the other guy's rudeness, but it's never him getting something wrong because he was just tired, or drank a little too much, or was itching for a tussle (which is a fact of his personality that comes through in profiles and interviews - even Ridley Scott pointed out as much in the 60 Minutes piece).

It seems that in his own mind he's just 100% misunderstood. Okay, to be fair, the percentage may be high, but no way its 100%.

Posted by Hallick at November 6, 2006 5:35 PM

comment #12

Craig Kennedy says ...

"you can't just watch one clip"

Wrong.

I watched exactly one - the first one where Mr. Crowe made it clear he had no interest in giving an interview at which point I realized I had no interest in watching him not give one.

From the List of Things I'd Rather Do Than See Another Movie About a Middle-Aged Materialist Realizing There is More to Life Than A Cell Phone:
#125 Have my scrotum attacked by cheese grater wielding midgets and then set on fire.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at November 6, 2006 7:34 PM

comment #13

hiviper says ...

ouch!! that sounds like a good "Jackass" routine.

Regarding Crowe - most civilized people who aren't celebrities are expected to harness their rages and not act on a whim. Yes, the conceirge sounded like an asshole, but maybe the thing most people would do is chew him out and report him to the hotel manager. If everyone started throwing shit at people who get snotty at them - and then expect to get away with it, things would get out of hand real quickly.

Posted by hiviper at November 6, 2006 10:25 PM

comment #14

Thrudvangar says ...

Thanks Mark. I got my laugh today. Now I can go to bed.

Posted by Thrudvangar at November 7, 2006 3:29 AM

comment #15

Rich S. says ...

Y'know, one of these days, one of these "hot head" celebrities is going to try to intimidate the wrong person. There are too many Mark David Chapmans - or just plain homicidal jerks - in this world who might want to make a name for themselves by doing something lethal. Who knows? One of them might actually try to pick a fight with a Russell Crowe just to make it look like self defense.

You're a famous actor with all the money in the world. Get the smarmy bastard fired and then go blow off steam at the gym.

Posted by Rich S. at November 7, 2006 5:30 AM

comment #16