Russell Crowe Net Worth

Russell Crowe is a New Zealand-born actor, best known for his roles in Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, and Les Miserables. Since starting his acting career, Crowe has more than 65 acting credits to his name.

However, it’s not just his work on the big screen that has contributed to his success. Russell Crowe’s net worth has also been impacted by his work as a director and producer, his rugby team, and his real estate investments. Read on to discover Crowe’s most successful projects and follow his career from the beginning until now.

Early Life

Russell Crowe was born on April 7, 1964, in Wellington, New Zealand. His mother, Jocelyn Yvonne Wemyss, and father, John Alexander Crowe, both worked as film set caterers.

When Crowe was four years old, they moved to Sydney, Australia, where Crowe grew up. This is where his parents really established their film set catering business.

Crowe attended Vaucluse Public School and Sydney Boys High School. When he was 14, his family moved back to New Zealand. Here, Crowe attended Auckland Grammar School and Mount Roskill Grammar School. When he was 16, he dropped out to focus on his goal of being an actor.

Acting Career

Having been exposed early to the film industry, Crowe developed an early interest in acting. However, his acting career actually began with musical performances.

Soon after leaving school, Crowe went by the name Russ Le Roq and tried his hand as a singer in New Zealand. He released a few singles, but none really became successful. It was also around this time that Crowe formed a band called Roman Antix with his friend Billy Dean Cochran. The band’s name was later changed to 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.

When Crowe was 21, he had intended to attend the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Australia, but he was told he already had enough training and experience on his own.

Early Projects

In 1986, Crowe landed his first acting job as Eddie in a production of The Rocky Horror Show in New Zealand. After that, he was selected to play the part again in an Australian production of the show. Later on, he appeared in the Australian productions Blood Brothers and Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom.

Crowe had his film debut in the 1990 Australian drama Blood Oath, also released as Prisoners of the Sun. Critically acclaimed roles followed this in films like The Crossing, Romper Stomper and Hammers over the Anvil.

In 1993, he went international, starring in the Canadian film For the Moment.

The Quick and the Dead

His first appearance was in the 1995 American film The Quick and the Dead, where he co-stars with Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Unfortunately, the film was not a box office success, only grossing $18.6 million worldwide against a production budget of $32 million.

L.A. Confidential

Crowe would star in his first blockbuster in the 1997 crime film L.A. Confidential. He shared the screen with Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger, and his performance earned a couple of acting nominations. In total, the film grossed a total of $126.2 million in box office earnings.

The Insider

In 1999, Crowe was cast to play the whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand in the drama The Insider. He co-starred with Al Pacino. It was in this title that Crowe earned his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category.

Gladiator 

A year later, Russell Crowe’s net worth would get a sizable boost with the 2000 film Gladiator. He portrayed the Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, which is one of his career’s most iconic characters. He gave a stellar performance and won a slew of awards from all over, including his first Oscar win as Best Actor. The film also won Best Picture at the Academy Award that year.

The historical drama had a fairly large budget of $103 million and was able to quadruple this with its $465.4 million box office gross. As for Crowe’s salary, he received $5 million. And as 2022, Gladiator is still Crowe’s third-highest grossing film.

With the film’s massive critical and commercial success, he could command a much higher paycheck for later movies. In fact, his following film Proof of Life, already reflected an increase as he was paid $7.5 million for his work.

Beautiful Mind

Crowe would star in another Oscar Best Picture in A Beautiful Mind the following year. He was once again nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Actor after giving a very captivating performance as the mathematician John Nash. However, he lost out to Denzel Washington on Training Day. Nevertheless, Crowe captured the Best Actor award at the Golden Globe Awards, the SAG Awards, and several other associations.

The film was not only a success with critics, but it was also a huge blockbuster. With its budget of $58 million, it was able to generate $316.8 million in theater revenues globally. The movie was also a significant boost to Russell Crowe’s net worth, as he received $15 million for his work.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Another notable contributor to Russell Crowe’s net worth was the 2003 war drama Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. For this film, Crowe’s salary was a whopping $20 million, making him one of the highest-paid actors in the world.

Crowe delivered another superb performance, and the film was also a box office hit, generating $211.6 million in ticket sales on a budget of $150 million.

Cinderella Man

The great roles and huge paychecks kept coming for Crowe in 2005 as he was chosen to star in Cinderella Man. Portraying the heavyweight boxing champion Jim Braddock, Crowe reportedly received another $15 million.

Although not as big a hit as his previous films, Cinderella Man was still a commercial success. It earned $108.5 million over a budget of $88 million.

American Gangster

Two years later, Crowe would star in the biographical film American Gangster under the direction of Ridley Scott. It followed the life of Frank Lucas, portrayed by Denzel Washington. Crowe played the role of Detective Richie Roberts. The film raked in a total of $269.8 million from theaters worldwide.

Robin Hood

Crowe would work with director Ridley Scott once more in 2010 as he starred in the 2010 action film Robin Hood. Other members of the cast included Cate Blanchett and William Hurt. Crowe’s salary for was $20 million for the role. However, he earned an additional amount from being one of the producers of the film.

Robin Hood went on to make $321.7 million at the box office on a budget of $200 million.

Les Misereables

Crowe would take on a different kind of role in 2012 as he starred as Inspector Javert in a film adaptation of Les Miserables. Again, he worked with a stellar cast that included Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Eddie Redmayne. His musical experience came in handy for the role, although his singing did get widely criticized by audiences.

The film won multiple awards, including many for overall cast performance. It also raked in a whopping $442.3 million compared to a production budget of $61 million.

Man of Steel

In 2013, Crowe starred in Man of Steel opposite Henry Cavill and Amy Adams. With a production budget of $225 million, the superhero film grossed more than $668 million globally. As of 2022, this flick is Crowe’s second-highest-grossing movie.

The Nice Guys

In 2016, Crowe would star in the action-crime-comedy The Nice Guys with Ryan Gosling. The film was a hit with film critics. However, it wasn’t a big winner at the box office. With a budget of $50 million, including a $7 million salary for Crowe, the flick grossed $62.8 million globally. 

Thor: Love and Thunder 

In early 2022, Crowe appeared in the Marvel superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder. He portrayed the god Zeus in this massive blockbuster that made $760.9 million from theaters worldwide. As of 2022, this movie is Crowe’s highest-grossing film.

Recent Work

Russell Crowe appeared in a couple of other films in 2022, like Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher and the Apple’s The Greatest Beer Run Ever. He also directed and took on the lead role in the thriller Poker Face, where he co-stars with Liam Hemsworth.

Other Ventures

Russell Crowe’s net worth is also impacted by his musical endeavors. During the 1980s, Crowe not only performed using the stage name “Russ Le Roq” (releasing several singles), but he also managed a music venue in Auckland, New Zealand called The Venue. During that time, he also started a band with friend Bill Dean Cochran. They would later become known as the 30 Odd Foot Grunts by the early 90s. Over the course of the next decade, the band would release three full-length albums, an EP, and record a live DVD. By 2005, the bandmates had gone their separate ways.

Next, Crowe would find himself collaborating with Canadian musician Alan Doyle. The pair would embark on a sold-out U.S. Tour under the name Russell Crowe & The Ordinary Fear of God. And by 2017, Crowe and Doyle would form another band, Indoor Garden Party, along with Samantha Barks, Scott Grimes, and Carl Falk.

Additionally, as an avid fan and supporter of rugby, Crowe has also been part owner of the team South Sydney Rabbitohs at the National Rugby League since 2006.

Real Estate

A considerable part of Russell Crowe’s net worth comes from real estate investments he’s made over the years. In 2001, the actor purchased a Sydney waterfront estate for $9.2 million. Then, in 2013, he put it on the market and was able to sell it at $11.5 million, making quite a decent profit.

In 2003, he and his then-wife Danielle Spencer shelled out $14 million for a Woolloomooloo penthouse and another $10 million for an abode in Rose Bay. When they got divorced, the ownership of their Rose Bay mansion went to Spencer.

In 2019, Crowe’s New South Wales house was ravaged by fires.

Personal Life

Russell Crowe met singer Danielle Spencer in 1989 during the filming of The Crossing, and they dated on and off. In 2000, he had a brief relationship with actress Meg Ryan.

Crowe and Spencer got back together in 2001 and tied the knot in 2003. They have two sons, Charles and Tennyson. The couple separated in 2012 and were officially divorced in 2018.

Russell Crowe’s Net Worth

As of 2022, Russell Crowe’s net worth is estimated at $120 million. And while a large portion of that number comes from Crowe’s acting career, his real estate investments and his work as a producer, director, and musician also impact his net worth.

Fans of Russell can see him next in 2023’s Land of the Bad, where he’ll star opposite Liam Hemsworth, Luke Hemsworth, and Milo Ventimiglia. Additionally, he’s in post-production on Kraven the Hunter and The Pope’s Exorcist, both of which are expected to release in 2023. 

Russell is also in pre-production on Rothko, American Son, and Sleeping Dogs. And if that wasn’t enough, he has several additional projects in the works that he’ll be producing, including an Untitled Bill Hicks Project and The Long Green Shore.