Contemplating a potential mud-fest at Glastonbury following quite a while of downpour? Russell Crowe, the entertainer who played Maximus Decimus Meridius, will want to deal with it.
“Well… probably,” he laughs. “We’re in the acoustic tent, which is a large tent with a covered stage, so we’ll be okay.”
This year, Crowe is making his debut at Glastonbury not just as an A-list VIP guest, which he also is, but as a performer with his band, Indoor Garden Party.
For those who know him from his Oscar-winning films like Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, LA Confidential, Les Miserables, and others, this might be surprising. But Crowe has been playing guitar far longer than he’s been acting.
“I spent years touring, performing in bars and clubs, and distributing records before I ever landed a feature film,” he remarks from a studio in Sydney, Australia, just days before heading to Europe. “When I first began acting, the idea of being in a feature film seemed like an impossible dream.”
‘We’re going to blow that place up’
Russell Crowe tracks down making music a reviving equilibrium to the controlled, requesting nature of acting. He takes note of that film work requires serious planning, referring to a new 17-page scene that required calm examination to consummate.
But performing on stage is different. “No matter how much you’ve prepared, the audience’s response can change everything. It’s that kind of anarchy, where you never really know what’s going to happen, that’s so appealing.”
Crowe was thrilled to be invited to play at Glastonbury, where his band, Indoor Garden Party, will perform on Saturday evening. He encourages people to forget about Russell Crowe the actor and come for the music.
“We will explore that spot,” he says. “Disregard all the superstar gibberish or the popularity from my other work. You’ll see a serious band loaded with beast performers who understand what they’re doing.”
‘As it would turn out, I saw him again…’
Russell Crowe leads Indoor Nursery Party, highlighting The Courteous Fellows Stylists band — individuals from his past groups, Thirty Odd Foot of Snorts and The Common Feeling of Dread Toward God — and vocalist lyricist Lorraine O’Reilly. Their music traverses blues, rock, gospel, and country. Their new free collection, “Organization and Cons,” is out at this point.
The fine art is a basic yet gorgeous photo of a swimmer, caught from behind as he glances out over a huge stretch of ethereally lit water.
“Listen for a minute, I snapped that picture with my iPhone, at a spot called Woolloomooloo, where I have a loft, in Sydney,” says Crowe. “I was simply strolling around the cove and a man was standing; it was a colder time of year’s morning and it’s very cool, Sydney Harbor water, in winter, and I believe that is likely the thing he was considering, the temperature he was going to encounter.
“Assuming you see the photo very close, it’s so painterly, how the light was doing the water – and we haven’t impacted it by any means, there’s no channels or anything.”
Does the secret swimmer realize he’s a cover star for a Russell Crowe collection?
“Yet again coincidentally, I was roosted in the shade one day and I saw him. So I cut off down the wharf and circumvented the contrary side of the river and had a conversation with him, and he was delighted to be on a record cover. So that is cool.”
‘I’m a very sentimental person’
Fans will get to hear the new songs live at gigs in Warrington, Dublin, and Glastonbury in the UK and Ireland. Before that, the Indoor Garden Party will perform in Italy, including a special show next to Rome’s Colosseum.
Crowe, appointed by the mayor of Rome as the city’s “ambassador to the world” in 2022, has had a special bond with Italy ever since he won his Oscar for best actor for Gladiator in 2001.
“My relationship with Italy and the Italian nation since Fighter has been mind-blowing,” he says. “Being Rome’s representative to the world is a touch of tomfoolery, however, it’s cool, you know?”
With Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel coming out next year, Crowe wonders if things might change.
“Next year they’ll have a new Gladiator, so my relationship with the people of Italy might change quite a bit. Sentimentally—I’m a sentimental person; I was born in New Zealand and grew up in Australia, we’re like that—I get to tour the country and say both hello and goodbye.”
‘There’s a tinge of jealousy’
The Gladiator sequel, starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal, is coming out 25 years after Ridley Scott’s original film. Russell Crowe, now 60, isn’t part of it because of how the first movie ended.
What is his opinion about it? “I feel old,” he concedes. “That time in my life was a gigantic change, and everything went gnawed off the deep end for some time.
“I have fond memories of it. Honestly, there’s a bit of jealousy because I wish I was 35 or 36 again to have that kind of experience once more.”
Conclusion
Russell Crowe stands as a testament to the power of talent, dedication, and perseverance. From his humble beginnings to his status as a Hollywood icon, his journey is one of inspiration and admiration. As he continues to captivate audiences with his performances, his legacy as one of the greatest actors of our time is firmly cemented.
FAQ
Some of Russell Crowe’s upcoming projects include the film “Krakatoa,” where he will portray the lead role of Simon Winchester.
Russell Crowe has won one Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in “Gladiator” (2000).
Russell Crowe was previously married to Danielle Spencer, with whom he shares two children. They divorced in 2018.
Yes, Russell Crowe is actively involved in various philanthropic activities, including environmental conservation and humanitarian efforts.
