Oscar winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator) has apologized for the expletive-laced harangue he directed at a British producer after his acceptance speech at last Sunday’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards show was edited down considerably, Reuters reports.
A spokesman for the company that produced the awards show said the star of A Beautiful Mind admitted “his language had been excessive” and even offered to buy producer Malcolm Gerrie a drink the next time Crowe is in London. The Hollywood star phoned Gerrie over the weekend to apologize.
Crowe allegedly cursed and shoved Gerrie at a BAFTA after-party. Gerrie’s offense was having cut the part of Crowe‘s acceptance speech from the tape-delayed awards telecast (Crowe won the British equivalent of a best actor Oscar for his role in A Beautiful Mind) that was a poem recital.
The production company’s spokesman said Gerrie gladly accepted the New Zealand-born actor’s apology.
Critics of Crowe, who is fast gaining a reputation as being difficult, say the incident may cost him a second straight best actor win at this year’s Academy Awards.
