Life may truly have imitated art in case of Hollywood megastar Russell Crowe as the actor, who played a Roman general in the mega-hit 'Gladiator', has said that he has Italian roots. This is not all, Crowe also said that he bears familial connections with the last man to get executed by&nbsp;beheading&nbsp;in England. The actor has a long list of mega-hit films but is most often associated with 'Gladiator', the Ridley Scott epic which started and contributed to the trend of historical movies at the start of the new millennium.

On Wednesday (January 3), Russell Crowe took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I’ve been on the hunt to track down my Italian forebears for quite some time. Folkloric family tales and misspelling had seen me travel on a number of wrong tracks."

“Turns out my great great great grandfather, on my mother’s side, who travelled to NZ in 1864, was Luigi Ghezzi. Born in 1829 in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, the son of Augestine and Annunziata born in Parma. Luigi had been working in Argentina, took a boat to India, was shipwrecked, and ended up in Cape Town. While there he met and married Mary Ann Curtain and they migrated to NZ. Fascinating," he further wrote.

“Also something else that has recently come to light on my father’s mother’s side, via John (Jock) Fraser (arrived in NZ in 1841) we directly connect back to Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat. Look him up. He’s quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him.

“Seems his machiavellian ways caught up to him at the age of 80, and he has a claim to infamy as the last man to have the head chopped off his living body in the Tower of London.

“His death even coined a phrase. Apparently, they set up temporary stands for the gentry to watch him die. One of these stands collapsed which resulted in the death of nine onlookers. Being told this just before he was put to death made him laugh. He was still laughing when the blade struck his neck, thereby ‘laughing his head off’. Fascinating," he added.

List of Crowe's fascinating family connections doesn't end here. His Maori heritage is well-established. He is also the cousin of late New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe.

In his thread on X, he has also revealed his discovery that he is connected to another lineage of Crowes who have settled for many generations in Australia.

Besides 'Gladiator', Crowe's other most notable role was in 'The Beautiful Mind' in which he played Nobel-prize-winning Mathematician John Nash, a brilliant mind suffering from Schizophrenia.

Life may truly have imitated art in case of Hollywood megastar Russell Crowe as the actor, who played a Roman general in the mega-hit 'Gladiator', has said that he has Italian roots.

Life may truly have imitated art in case of Hollywood megastar Russell Crowe as the actor, who played a Roman general in the mega-hit 'Gladiator', has said that he has Italian roots. This is not all, Crowe also said that he bears familial connections with the last man to get executed by beheading in England. The actor has a long list of mega-hit films but is most often associated with 'Gladiator', the Ridley Scott epic which started and contributed to the trend of historical movies at the start of the new millennium. On Wednesday (January 3), Russell Crowe took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I’ve been on the hunt to track down my Italian forebears for quite some time. Folkloric family tales and misspelling had seen me travel on a number of wrong tracks." “Turns out my great great great grandfather, on my mother’s side, who travelled to NZ in 1864, was Luigi Ghezzi. Born in 1829 in Ascoli Piceno, Marche, the son of Augestine and Annunziata born in Parma. Luigi had been working in Argentina, took a boat to India, was shipwrecked, and ended up in Cape Town. While there he met and married Mary Ann Curtain and they migrated to NZ. Fascinating," he further wrote. “Also something else that has recently come to light on my father’s mother’s side, via John (Jock) Fraser (arrived in NZ in 1841) we directly connect back to Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat. Look him up. He’s quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him. “Seems his machiavellian ways caught up to him at the age of 80, and he has a claim to infamy as the last man to have the head chopped off his living body in the Tower of London. “His death even coined a phrase. Apparently, they set up temporary stands for the gentry to watch him die. One of these stands collapsed which resulted in the death of nine onlookers. Being told this just before he was put to death made him laugh. He was still laughing when the blade struck his neck, thereby ‘laughing his head off’. Fascinating," he added. List of Crowe's fascinating family connections doesn't end here. His Maori heritage is well-established. He is also the cousin of late New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe. In his thread on X, he has also revealed his discovery that he is connected to another lineage of Crowes who have settled for many generations in Australia. Besides 'Gladiator', Crowe's other most notable role was in 'The Beautiful Mind' in which he played Nobel-prize-winning Mathematician John Nash, a brilliant mind suffering from Schizophrenia.

'Gladiator' Russell Crowe has Italian roots, and ties with last man beheaded in England

Russell Crowe is very much done with questions about Gladiator 2. The actor expressed his frustration with the constant questions that he has been asked about the coming movie that he's not even a part of.&nbsp;

At a Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Russell, who played the role of Maximus Decimus Meridius in the first part, told the journalists at the event, ''They should be fucking paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in.''

Russell is not part of the sequel&nbsp;as his character Maximus died at the end of the first part. Mentioning the same, he 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.''

''I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. I am dead!'' he said.

Further, Crowe hailed director Ridley Scott's sequel and said, ''But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular.''

Russell is not returning for the sequel, as his character Maximus dies at the end of Gladiator and reunites with his wife and son in the afterlife.&nbsp;

<h2>More about Gladiator 2&nbsp;</h2>

The sequel of the movie stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas. Connie is reprising her role as Lucilla from the first film.&nbsp;Scott is directing and producing the film, with David Scarpa writing the screenplay. Paramount is backing the film.&nbsp;

Gladiator&nbsp;has been regarded as one of the best films of the 2000s and the greatest historical epic film ever made. Russell became a global star after the film, which was made on a $100 million budget and&nbsp;grossed $460 million worldwide.

The film earned five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. The shoot of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel is currently underway.&nbsp;

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Russell Crowe is very much done with questions about Gladiator 2. The actor expressed his frustration with the constant questions that he has been asked about the coming movie that he's not even a part of.

Russell Crowe is very much done with questions about Gladiator 2. The actor expressed his frustration with the constant questions that he has been asked about the coming movie that he's not even a part of. At a Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Russell, who played the role of Maximus Decimus Meridius in the first part, told the journalists at the event, ''They should be fucking paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in.'' Russell is not part of the sequel as his character Maximus died at the end of the first part. Mentioning the same, he 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.'' ''I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. I am dead!'' he said. Further, Crowe hailed director Ridley Scott's sequel and said, ''But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular.'' Russell is not returning for the sequel, as his character Maximus dies at the end of Gladiator and reunites with his wife and son in the afterlife. More about Gladiator 2 The sequel of the movie stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas. Connie is reprising her role as Lucilla from the first film. Scott is directing and producing the film, with David Scarpa writing the screenplay. Paramount is backing the film. Gladiator has been regarded as one of the best films of the 2000s and the greatest historical epic film ever made. Russell became a global star after the film, which was made on a $100 million budget and grossed $460 million worldwide. The film earned five Oscars at the 73rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe. The shoot of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel is currently underway. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russell Crowe says he should be 'f**king paid' for the non-stop Gladiator 2 questions, ‘I am not even in it!’

The shoot of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel is currently underway in Morocco near the Sahara Desert and on Friday, June 7, a major accident took place on the set during the shooting of the stunt sequence. Several crew members on the set were injured in the accident.&nbsp;

The Paramount spokesperson confirmed the incident on Friday, revealing that the injuries were ''non-life-threatening'' and&nbsp;all those who were impacted immediately received the necessary care.

''While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries. The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received the necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment," a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures said in a statement, via EW.&nbsp;

The statement added, "The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.''

As per Variety, a source has revealed that no cast members were harmed. "Total six people received treatment, four of whom remain in the hospital. All of the impacted crew members were treated for burn injuries,''&nbsp;the individual further revealed.

''Two other crew members were treated locally and then discharged. The accident occurred towards the end of the shooting day. No cast members were harmed.''

While the main cause behind the accident has not been revealed, however, The Sun has reported&nbsp;the news of an explosion on set.&nbsp; 
 
The UK outlet has revealed&nbsp;that the major accident took place after a fireball engulfed the set when a big-budget special effects scene went wrong. An investigation is now underway, with onlookers speculating that a gas pipe on the set may have ruptured.

A source said: "It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path.&nbsp;In years of filming, I’ve never seen an accident so scary."

The shooting is going on in Ouarzazate, where the temperature regularly hits 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Stars including Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington were present on the set and watched the horrific scene in terror.&nbsp;

<h2>More about the film&nbsp;</h2>

The movie, which is the sequel to Russell Crowe's Oscar-winning film, stars&nbsp;Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas. Connie is reprising her role as Lucilla from the first film.&nbsp;

The period film was praised by critics and audiences alike and was a huge blockbuster hit and&nbsp;grossed more than $460 million. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe. The makers are eying for&nbsp;November 22, 2024 release date.

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The shoot of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel is currently underway in Morocco near the Sahara Desert and on Friday, June 7, a major accident took place on the set during the shooting of the stunt sequence.

The shoot of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel is currently underway in Morocco near the Sahara Desert and on Friday, June 7, a major accident took place on the set during the shooting of the stunt sequence. Several crew members on the set were injured in the accident. The Paramount spokesperson confirmed the incident on Friday, revealing that the injuries were ''non-life-threatening'' and all those who were impacted immediately received the necessary care. ''While filming a planned stunt sequence on the set of the Gladiator sequel, an accident occurred during which several crew members experienced non-life-threatening injuries. The safety and full medical services teams on-site were able to act quickly so that those who were impacted immediately received the necessary care. They are all in stable condition and continue to receive treatment," a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures said in a statement, via EW. The statement added, "The well-being of the cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us, and we have strict health and safety procedures in place on all our productions. We will continue monitoring the situation and taking all necessary precautions as we resume production.'' As per Variety, a source has revealed that no cast members were harmed. "Total six people received treatment, four of whom remain in the hospital. All of the impacted crew members were treated for burn injuries,'' the individual further revealed. ''Two other crew members were treated locally and then discharged. The accident occurred towards the end of the shooting day. No cast members were harmed.'' While the main cause behind the accident has not been revealed, however, The Sun has reported the news of an explosion on set. The UK outlet has revealed that the major accident took place after a fireball engulfed the set when a big-budget special effects scene went wrong. An investigation is now underway, with onlookers speculating that a gas pipe on the set may have ruptured. A source said: "It was terrifying — a huge ball of fire flew up and caught several crew members in its path. In years of filming, I’ve never seen an accident so scary." The shooting is going on in Ouarzazate, where the temperature regularly hits 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Stars including Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington were present on the set and watched the horrific scene in terror. More about the film The movie, which is the sequel to Russell Crowe's Oscar-winning film, stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Peter Mensah, and Matt Lucas. Connie is reprising her role as Lucilla from the first film. The period film was praised by critics and audiences alike and was a huge blockbuster hit and grossed more than $460 million. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe. The makers are eying for November 22, 2024 release date. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Gladiator 2 on-set accident leaves several crew members injured

Russell Crowe, in his illustrious career, has delivered some memorable performances in iconic films. One of them has been 'Gladiator' - a period film that released in 2001. 
 
The actor's performance had fetched him Best Actor award in almost all leading award shows including the Oscars that year. But Crowe feels he did not earn it. 
 
On Australian show 'Today,' Crowe, now 56, revealed that he thought the film's director, Ridley Scott, should have gotten most the accolades and credit for the success of the film. 
 
“(After starring in ‘Gladiator’), I got so many pats on the back, and, you know, I got some big awards and all that, and obviously that sort of stepped me up to a different level for quite some time,” the actor said. 
 
Crowe said he re-watched the movie at a live screening of 'Gladiator' at the Colosseum in Rome recently and felt guilty for his awards. 
 
“I watched that movie, and it is a director's film. It was one of those moments of, ‘Why did I get all the attention, when the Academy Award belongs to Ridley Scott?’” he said. 
 
Scott did not win the Best Director Oscar for the film but 'Gladiator' did win Oscars for best picture, best sound, best visual effects, and best costume design.

Russell Crowe, in his illustrious career, has delivered some memorable performances in iconic films. One of them has been 'Gladiator' - a period film that released in 2001.

Russell Crowe, in his illustrious career, has delivered some memorable performances in iconic films. One of them has been 'Gladiator' - a period film that released in 2001. The actor's performance had fetched him Best Actor award in almost all leading award shows including the Oscars that year. But Crowe feels he did not earn it. On Australian show 'Today,' Crowe, now 56, revealed that he thought the film's director, Ridley Scott, should have gotten most the accolades and credit for the success of the film. “(After starring in ‘Gladiator’), I got so many pats on the back, and, you know, I got some big awards and all that, and obviously that sort of stepped me up to a different level for quite some time,” the actor said. Crowe said he re-watched the movie at a live screening of 'Gladiator' at the Colosseum in Rome recently and felt guilty for his awards. “I watched that movie, and it is a director's film. It was one of those moments of, ‘Why did I get all the attention, when the Academy Award belongs to Ridley Scott?’” he said. Scott did not win the Best Director Oscar for the film but 'Gladiator' did win Oscars for best picture, best sound, best visual effects, and best costume design.

Russell Crowe feels he didn't deserve the adulation he got for 'Gladiator'