HOLLYWOOD - 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.