Russell Crowe is considering retiring from acting: “I will just stop”

Russell Crowe has said he’s considering retiring from acting.

The actor discussed his future during an appearance at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where he accepted an award for outstanding contribution to world cinema.

Speaking to the press at the festival (via Variety), Crowe pondered his future ahead of his 60th birthday next year.

“You are standing in front of the mirror, and go: ‘Who the fuck is that?’ I am in that period now,” Crowe said. “I will take Ridley Scott as my role model: he is still discovering new things in his work. Or I will just stop and you will never hear from me again.

“I haven’t decided what it’s going to be. These are two very valid choices.”

The actor also bemoaned the amount of questions he receives about the upcoming sequel to Gladiator. “They should be fucking paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in,” Crowe said.

“It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life.”

Scott returns to direct Gladiator 2, which is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2024. The sequel is set to follow Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), the nephew of Commodus, who was saved by Crowe’s character Maximus Decimus Meridius in the original film.

Other cast members for the sequel include Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn. Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou and Derek Jacobi are all set to reprise their roles of Lucilla, Juba and Gracchus respectively from the original.

Crowe next stars in Spider-Man spin-off film Kraven The Hunter, which is slated to be released in cinemas on October 6, 2023.

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