Russell Crowe does on 7th April - check out my tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 52, at the end of this feature.
Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!
Sunday 3rd April
- Eddie Murphy - Born 1961, turns 55 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
- Ben Mendelsohn - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor
- Alec Baldwin - Born 1958, turns 58 - Actor | Producer | Director
- Matthew Goode - Born 1978, turns 38 - Actor
Monday 4th April
- Robert Downey Jnr. - Born 1965, turns 51 - Actor | Producer
- Hugo Weaving - Born 1960, turns 56 - Actor | Producer
- Barry Pepper - Born 1970, turns 46 - Actor | Producer
- Craig T. Nelson - Born 1944, turns 72 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
- David E. Kelley - Born 1956, turns 60 - Producer | Writer
- Estelle Harris - Born 1928, turns 88 - Actress
Tuesday 5th April
- Hayley Atwell - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actress
- Mitch Pileggi - Born 1952, turns 64 - Actor
- Roger Corman - Born 1926, turns 90 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
- Peter Greenaway - Born 1942, turns 74 - Director | Writer | Actor | Editor
Wednesday 6th April
- Paul Rudd - Born 1969, turns 47 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
- Michael Rooker - Born 1955, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
- Zach Braff - Born 1975, turns 41 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
- Barry Levinson - Born 1942, turns 74 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
- Roy Thinnes - Born 1938, turns 78 - Actor
Thursday 7th April
- Russell Crowe - Born 1964, turns 52 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
- Jackie Chan - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Stuntman
- Francis Ford Coppola - Born 1939, turns 77 - Director | Producer | Writer
- Andrew Sachs - Born 1930, turns 86 - Actor
Friday 8th April
- Taylor Kitsch - Born 1981, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
- Robin Wright - Born 1966, turns 50 - Actor | Producer | Director
- Patricia Arquette - Born 1968, turns 48 - Actress
Saturday 9th April
Russell Ira Crowe was born in the Wellington suburb of Strathmore Park, in New Zealand to mother Jocelyn Wemyss and father John Crowe who worked as film set caterers, with John also managing a hotel. At age four, the Crowe family moved to Sydney, Australia where the parents continued to work in on-set catering. At age six, the young Crowe was hired to appear on Australian series 'Spyforce' with a single line of dialogue opposite Jack Thompson whom he would later star with in the film 'The Sum of Us'. Two years later he appeared in a single episode of 'The Young Doctors' in 1977. Crowe attended Sydney Boys High School and at fourteen the family returned to New Zealand where he attended Auckland Grammar School with brother Terry, and his cousins Martin & Jeff Crowe who would become New Zealand Cricket Captains. He went on to Mount Roskill Grammar School where he finished his education at sixteen, to pursue a career in acting.
In New Zealand as a late teenager, Crowe started performing as a musician under the stage name Russ Le Roq. He released several singles but found little success. At 21, he returned to Sydney with every intention of attending NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). Instead, he was offered his first professional role in a stage production of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' from 1986-1988 which subsequently toured through Australia and New Zealand. After spending six months busking because he couldn't find work, he was cast in the stage musical 'Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom' in 1989. In the meantime he has scored several episodes on 'Neighbours' in 1987 and a TV movie 'Living with the Law'.
His feature film debut came with 'The Crossing' which also starred Danielle Spencer, and then that same year, 1990, 'Blood Oath' with Bryan Brown and George Takei in this Japanese wartime offering. 'Proof' and 'The Efficiency Expert' with Anthony Hopkins came next in 1992 before 'Romper Stomper' later that year for Director Geoffrey Wright which garnered Crowe much critical acclaim for his Melbourne based Nazi Skinhead role as Hando.
Following several films in 1993, 'The Sum of Us' followed in 1994 with Jack Thomson. Following early success in Australian produced films, he turned his attention to the USA with a string of films to close our the 90's including 'Virtuosity' with Denzel Washington, 'The Quick and the Dead' with Sharon Stone, 'Rough Magic' with Bridget Fonda, and then the highly acclaimed multi-award winner 'L.A.Confidential' with an all star cast including Kevin Spacey and Kim Bassinger. 'Mystery, Alaska' with Burt Reynolds followed and Michael Mann's 'The Insider' in 1999 saw out the decade with his Oscar nominated turn as Jeffrey Wigand in this expose of the Big Tobacco industry.
'Gladiator' came next in 2000 for Ridley Scott which saw Crowe win the Best Actor Academy Award - one of five including Best Picture. After this came 'Proof of Life', then Ron Howard's 'A Beautiful Mind' with Crowe starring as the brilliant mathematician John Nash in this multiple award winning film which also picked up the Best Picture Academy Award - a year after 'Gladiator'.
2003 brought us 'Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World' for Peter Wier before reuniting with Ron Howard again in 2005 for 'Cinderella Man' as 1930's boxer James Braddock. In 2006 he teamed up again with Ridley Scott for 'A Good Year' before a return to the Western genre with '3:10 to Yuma' with Christian Bale in 2007. 'American Gangster' followed for Ridley Scott again and with Denzel Washington, and then 'Body of Lies' with Leonardo DiCaprio and once more for Ridley Scott.
'Tenderness' and 'State of Play' cane before another teaming with Ridley Scott in 2010's 'Robin Hood' with Crowe in the lead role opposite Cate Blanchett as Marion. 'The Next Three Days' and 'The Man with the Iron Fists' came before 'Les Miserables' in the highly acclaimed multi-award winning 2012 big screen adaptation of the stage musical.
The following year 'Broken City' with Mark Wahlberg was released and thereafter he played Superman's biological father Jor-El in Zack Snyders's 'Man of Steel' - the first film in the DC Extended Universe. 'Winter's Tale' and 'Noah' were next with Crowe playing the title role of the Biblical character chosen by God to save human and animal kind from the Great Flood.
In 2014 Crowe turned his attentions to Directing his first film with 'The Water Diviner' which he also starred in. Telling a story of a fathers quest to return the remains of his three sons presumed killed in the WWI fighting at Gallipoli, the film was made for US$22M and made US$31M and garnered a number of award wins and nominations on the Australian awards circuit. 'Father's and Daughter's' closed out 2015, with 'Nice Guys' due for release soon with Ryan Gosling in this 1970's LA set comedy thriller Directed by Shane Black, with 'In Sand and Blood' currently in pre-production.
Crowe has 36 award wins to his name including the Best Actor Academy Award for 'Gladiator', the Best Actor Golden Globe and a BAFTA for 'A Beautiful Mind' and multiple Australian Film Institute wins for 'Proof', 'Romper Stomper', Cinderella Man', and 'State of Play'. He also has 66 other nominations from around the traps.
He has continued with his love of music forming '30 Odd Foot of Grunts' which disbanded in 2005 to form 'The Ordinary Fear of God' which toured successfully in Australia and the US throughout 2005 and 2006. In 2003 Crowe married his Co-Star from 'The Crossing' Danielle Spencer with whom he has two sons Charles Spencer Crowe (born December 2003) and Tennyson Spencer Crowe (born July 2006). The couple separated in late 2012. He is a supporter of New Zealand's national rugby union team - The All Blacks and has been an avid supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs since his childhood years. He has supported the struggling Club with sponsorships, donations and a 75% ownership of the club taken out in 2006 at a cost of AU$3M with a local business partner. The Club went onto win the NRL Grand Final in 2014 - the first time in 43 years. He also plays cricket, has commentated for Sky Sports and captained the 'Australian' side in the 'Hollywood Ashes'.
Russell Crowe - multiple award winner; frequent collaborator with Ridley Scott and Ron Howard; often plays real life characters; turned down 'Collateral', 'Black Hawk Down', 'Lord of the Rings' and the role of 'Wolverine' but has made up for it with multiple roles in Academy Award Best Picture nominated films - six from 1997 to 2012; and at times controversial, but always watchable and a drawcard, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
- Kristen Stewart - Born 1990, turns 26 - Actress
- Elle Fanning - Born 1998, turns 18 - Actress
- Dennis Quaid - Born 1954, turns 62 - Actor | Producer
- Jay Baruchel - Born 1982, turns 34 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
Russell Ira Crowe was born in the Wellington suburb of Strathmore Park, in New Zealand to mother Jocelyn Wemyss and father John Crowe who worked as film set caterers, with John also managing a hotel. At age four, the Crowe family moved to Sydney, Australia where the parents continued to work in on-set catering. At age six, the young Crowe was hired to appear on Australian series 'Spyforce' with a single line of dialogue opposite Jack Thompson whom he would later star with in the film 'The Sum of Us'. Two years later he appeared in a single episode of 'The Young Doctors' in 1977. Crowe attended Sydney Boys High School and at fourteen the family returned to New Zealand where he attended Auckland Grammar School with brother Terry, and his cousins Martin & Jeff Crowe who would become New Zealand Cricket Captains. He went on to Mount Roskill Grammar School where he finished his education at sixteen, to pursue a career in acting.In New Zealand as a late teenager, Crowe started performing as a musician under the stage name Russ Le Roq. He released several singles but found little success. At 21, he returned to Sydney with every intention of attending NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). Instead, he was offered his first professional role in a stage production of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' from 1986-1988 which subsequently toured through Australia and New Zealand. After spending six months busking because he couldn't find work, he was cast in the stage musical 'Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom' in 1989. In the meantime he has scored several episodes on 'Neighbours' in 1987 and a TV movie 'Living with the Law'.
His feature film debut came with 'The Crossing' which also starred Danielle Spencer, and then that same year, 1990, 'Blood Oath' with Bryan Brown and George Takei in this Japanese wartime offering. 'Proof' and 'The Efficiency Expert' with Anthony Hopkins came next in 1992 before 'Romper Stomper' later that year for Director Geoffrey Wright which garnered Crowe much critical acclaim for his Melbourne based Nazi Skinhead role as Hando.
Following several films in 1993, 'The Sum of Us' followed in 1994 with Jack Thomson. Following early success in Australian produced films, he turned his attention to the USA with a string of films to close our the 90's including 'Virtuosity' with Denzel Washington, 'The Quick and the Dead' with Sharon Stone, 'Rough Magic' with Bridget Fonda, and then the highly acclaimed multi-award winner 'L.A.Confidential' with an all star cast including Kevin Spacey and Kim Bassinger. 'Mystery, Alaska' with Burt Reynolds followed and Michael Mann's 'The Insider' in 1999 saw out the decade with his Oscar nominated turn as Jeffrey Wigand in this expose of the Big Tobacco industry.
2003 brought us 'Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World' for Peter Wier before reuniting with Ron Howard again in 2005 for 'Cinderella Man' as 1930's boxer James Braddock. In 2006 he teamed up again with Ridley Scott for 'A Good Year' before a return to the Western genre with '3:10 to Yuma' with Christian Bale in 2007. 'American Gangster' followed for Ridley Scott again and with Denzel Washington, and then 'Body of Lies' with Leonardo DiCaprio and once more for Ridley Scott.
'Tenderness' and 'State of Play' cane before another teaming with Ridley Scott in 2010's 'Robin Hood' with Crowe in the lead role opposite Cate Blanchett as Marion. 'The Next Three Days' and 'The Man with the Iron Fists' came before 'Les Miserables' in the highly acclaimed multi-award winning 2012 big screen adaptation of the stage musical.
The following year 'Broken City' with Mark Wahlberg was released and thereafter he played Superman's biological father Jor-El in Zack Snyders's 'Man of Steel' - the first film in the DC Extended Universe. 'Winter's Tale' and 'Noah' were next with Crowe playing the title role of the Biblical character chosen by God to save human and animal kind from the Great Flood.
In 2014 Crowe turned his attentions to Directing his first film with 'The Water Diviner' which he also starred in. Telling a story of a fathers quest to return the remains of his three sons presumed killed in the WWI fighting at Gallipoli, the film was made for US$22M and made US$31M and garnered a number of award wins and nominations on the Australian awards circuit. 'Father's and Daughter's' closed out 2015, with 'Nice Guys' due for release soon with Ryan Gosling in this 1970's LA set comedy thriller Directed by Shane Black, with 'In Sand and Blood' currently in pre-production.
Crowe has 36 award wins to his name including the Best Actor Academy Award for 'Gladiator', the Best Actor Golden Globe and a BAFTA for 'A Beautiful Mind' and multiple Australian Film Institute wins for 'Proof', 'Romper Stomper', Cinderella Man', and 'State of Play'. He also has 66 other nominations from around the traps.
He has continued with his love of music forming '30 Odd Foot of Grunts' which disbanded in 2005 to form 'The Ordinary Fear of God' which toured successfully in Australia and the US throughout 2005 and 2006. In 2003 Crowe married his Co-Star from 'The Crossing' Danielle Spencer with whom he has two sons Charles Spencer Crowe (born December 2003) and Tennyson Spencer Crowe (born July 2006). The couple separated in late 2012. He is a supporter of New Zealand's national rugby union team - The All Blacks and has been an avid supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs since his childhood years. He has supported the struggling Club with sponsorships, donations and a 75% ownership of the club taken out in 2006 at a cost of AU$3M with a local business partner. The Club went onto win the NRL Grand Final in 2014 - the first time in 43 years. He also plays cricket, has commentated for Sky Sports and captained the 'Australian' side in the 'Hollywood Ashes'.
Russell Crowe - multiple award winner; frequent collaborator with Ridley Scott and Ron Howard; often plays real life characters; turned down 'Collateral', 'Black Hawk Down', 'Lord of the Rings' and the role of 'Wolverine' but has made up for it with multiple roles in Academy Award Best Picture nominated films - six from 1997 to 2012; and at times controversial, but always watchable and a drawcard, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.-Steve, at Odeon Online-
