Russell Crowe’s closest friends feared he was “at death’s door” before he made a single yet seismic lifestyle shift that saved his life. The Gladiator titan, now 61, confessed on The Joe Rogan Experience that he had shed 57 pounds over the past year after realizing his health was spiraling out of control during the filming of Nuremberg. Crowe admitted, while crediting his partnership with the health services platform Way2Well:
I’m not really across the science, but the real benefit I’m getting from these into my shoulders, my knees and also IVs, is that it’s calmed down my body’s inflammation.
A close friend confided that
Russell knew he was in trouble – his weight was putting him at serious risk. He was exhausted, constantly in pain, and struggling to move the way he used to.
What began as fatigue soon became a red alert. “He was basically dying due to his lifestyle and weight,” the friend revealed. But Crowe’s grit kicked in, swapping excess for endurance. He cut down on alcohol, learned moderation, and limited himself to one night of “fun” a week. When Rogan asked whether alcohol or gambling was harder to resist, Crowe replied:
We normalize both drinking and wagering. But we never look at the damage they cause.
Still, in true Aussie candor, the actor, who recently starred in Nuremberg, added, “I’m a big proponent for having a drink – it’s my cultural heritage and as a working class man, it’s my goddamn right, Joe. But as you get older, there are certain things you start to learn about your capacities.” These days, he savors one glass of “really nice wine,” trading chaos for control.
Russell Crowe Talks Love, Happiness, and Why He’s Sworn Off Marriage for Good
Russell Crowe also opened up about matters of the heart. During a candid interview on 60 Minutes Australia, the Oscar-winner declared he has “no plans to marry again” amid his relationship with 33-year-old girlfriend Britney Theriot. He told journalist Karl Stefanovic:
All these reports keep coming out saying that Britney and I are engaged and I’m going to get married again.
Crowe elaborated with his trademark wit:
We are very, very good friends, and we have a wonderful relationship. My life is so joyous and happy at the moment — why ruin that with a wedding? I’ve been married once. I know how it can go and where it can go. So I don’t need to go to that place.
When Stefanovic teased, “Where’s the romance in you?” Crowe chuckled:
Do you know how romantic it is to be boyfriend and girlfriend? Wherever you are in the world, you know?
The actor painted a vivid picture of companionship grounded in respect. “Having that slight thing that means you got to keep respecting each other and waking up with a smile,” he said:
And we do — this is something that is fascinating to me — we do everything together. We’re very happy, man. It’s a very positive life.
The couple, who met on the set of Broken City in 2013, went public in 2020 after being spotted playing tennis together. Crowe and his former wife, Danielle Spencer, went their separate ways in 2012 and officially ended their marriage six years later, in 2018. They are proud parents of two sons.
Nuremberg: Critics Say Russell Crowe Is Back in the Oscar Race After 20-Year Hiatus
Russell Crowe’s professional renaissance mirrors his personal one. His performance as Hermann Göring in Nuremberg has critics rhapsodizing about a comeback fit for the ages. Directed by James Vanderbilt (Truth), the film pits Crowe against Rami Malek’s U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley in a tense psychological duel set during the Nuremberg trials.
While reviews for the film itself sit at a solid 68 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, Crowe’s portrayal is being hailed as “towering,” “superb,” and “his best work in decades.” TheWrap wrote:
Crowe never wavers in taking Göring to heights unseen by the actor’s film career in quite some time.
Roger Ebert praised him as “dangerously charming, humble, and suave,” while USA Today said Crowe is “even more superb — and ready to crash awards season.” It’s been more than two decades since the actor’s last Oscar nomination, for A Beautiful Mind in 2002. Now, with Nuremberg releasing nationwide on November 7, whispers of a fourth nod are growing louder. As Variety put it:
Crowe acts with consummate command.
The Associated Press even lauded it as “some of his best work in years.”
After years of smaller roles and personal battles, Crowe seems to have reclaimed the spirit that once made him a Hollywood juggernaut. Could this be the dawn of his second golden era? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Nuremberg is now playing in theaters nationwide and is expected to stream on major platforms early next year.
