Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2010

Photo by Jun Sato

Over the past few years, Russell Crowe has accumulated an impressive number of war wounds due to the physical rigors of his roles. “Let’s see: I’ve torn both Achilles tendons, I’ve suffered shin splints, my left thigh has degenerated, I’ve had two operations on my left shoulder, and I have occasional problems with my ribs and neck,” said the 46-year-old actor, in Tokyo to promote Robin Hood, which opens here on December 10.

Clearly showing a few extra kilograms, Crowe said he’s allowed himself to relax for the past 12 months. “I like to shape my body for a role, but as I get older, that is getting harder to do. In my normal life, exercise is almost nonexistent. I look forward to my next role as a warrior, so I can get focused on getting into shape again. For Robin Hood, I spent six months learning archery and getting muscular enough to survive the long shoot, day after day.”

Robin Hood marks Crowe’s fifth collaboration with director Ridley Scott. “I’ve heard people describe Ridley and myself as an old married couple. In many ways, we are—we don’t hesitate to criticize each other; at other times, we understand what is required without saying anything. I think of Ridley as like a painter and I get to hold the paint. If he needs more blue, I try my best to give it to him.”

Crowe’s costar in the film is Australian actress Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian. “She is an exceptional actress,” he said. “A couple of years ago, Cate, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush and I were on a stage in Sydney being honored on postage stamps. I wondered why Cate and I had never worked together. So I asked the audience of 2,000 if they’d like to see us in a movie, and there was a roar of approval. Two days later, by coincidence, the studio called Cate and asked her to be in Robin Hood.”

Although Crowe has a reputation for being difficult with journalists, he was in an affable mood while in Tokyo. Perhaps that’s attributable to his becoming a family man. “Getting married and having children was the greatest thing to happen to me,” he said.

In a rare day off, the actor spent seven hours walking around Tokyo, until ending up in Kiddy Land to buy toys for his sons Charlie, 6, and Tennyson, 4. “All the instructions are in Japanese, so I hope they aren’t too hard for dad to assemble.”

Chris Betros is the editor of Japan Today (www.japantoday.com)