Russell Crowe's Sons Look Just Like Their Dad
It's no secret that Russell Crowe is one of the most successful actors of his time. He has delivered memorable performances and starred in critically acclaimed roles. But this is not the only noteworthy aspect of his life; Crowe is also a father. His journey into parenthood began in 2003, when he and his now ex-wife, Australian actress Danielle Spencer, welcomed their first son, Charles Spencer Crowe. They would add to their family three years later with a second son, Tennyson Spencer Crowe.
Fatherhood is something the "A Beautiful Mind" actor is incredibly passionate about, and he did not want to wait long before experiencing it. It also impacted every aspect of his life. "My priority list has changed. Everything has shifted simply and easily because I got married and had a baby, because I wanted to do that with an open heart. I was ready," he told The Independent in 2005.
As the boys grow up, it becomes more obvious how much they look like their famous dad, but they're unlikely to follow in his footsteps and are not your typical celebrity kids. Instead, they have grown up far, far away from the cameras. Still, that hasn't stopped the interest in them. This is what we know about Crowe's two sons and how they have changed his life for the better.
His sons choose to live with their mom after the divorce
Russell Crowe speaks about his sons with such affection when he does decide to give interviews about them or on fatherhood. It offers fans a rare glimpse into their lives. One of the biggest reasons fans may not see photographs of his two boys often is that they do not live in Hollywood. Instead, they live in Australia with their mom.
Danielle Spencer and Crowe finalized their divorce in 2018. However, they appear to have an amicable relationship, with Spencer occasionally sharing photos of her ex-husband and their boys on her social media. This includes a tribute to Crowe for his birthday in 2023, for which she posted a throwback of Charles, Tennyson, and the "Gladiator" actor. In the caption, she wrote, "Twenty years ago today, I married the father of my boys. While it is no longer our anniversary, it is still that guy's birthday. Happy Birthday."
As their children were underage at the time of their split, they had to make a tough decision about which parent they would live with, and they chose their mother. In a 2020 interview with Australia's "Sunrise" (via People), Crowe spoke about how his sons were quarantined during the pandemic. "When I asked the boys, they said they will choose Uber Eats over my paternal care," Crowe joked. "I wasn't too impressed about that. My boys live with their mom and they're pretty well settled there."
His eldest son Charles Spencer Crowe is a high school graduate
Russell Crowe has two sons, Charles Spencer Crowe and Tennyson Spencer Crowe, who he shares with his ex-wife, Australian actress Danielle Spencer. Unlike some celebrity children, not much is known about Crowe and Spencer's kids because they prefer to live their lives away from the limelight. However, that could change when they reach adulthood — which Charles has.
Born on December 21, 2003, Charles has his entire adult life ahead of him. Although we do not know for sure what his plans are, he graduated from high school in 2021. His mom could not be more proud and shared the news and a more recent photo of her son on her Instagram. "Wow ... Charles Spencer Crowe graduated from High School today!" she wrote in the caption. "Time is flying way too fast. So proud of you. Love you beyond words Charlie."
Russell Crowe's sons traveled a lot when they were younger
Being an actor may have advantages, but Russell Crowe's demanding work schedule was one of the hardest things for him while trying to raise two young boys. It's not just the long days during filming, but that each movie will be shot in various locations, which may require him to be away for months. This may have been less of a problem when his children were younger because he could easily pack them up and take them with him without the concern of school commitments, hobbies, and friends.
His sons had the opportunity to travel to many places during this time, but the "Robin Hood" actor ultimately decided that routine and consistency would be better for his children. "I probably have a slightly more challenging situation than a lot of parents do in that I have to travel for my job," Crowe said in a 2016 interview with Daily Mail.
This lifestyle may have worked when it was just Crowe, but he acknowledged that with children, things change. He said at the time: "I used to take the whole family with me but after a while it was clear that it wasn't the healthiest thing for the kids, having to change schools, make new friends all the time — there was something in that sort of style of life where the ground kept shifting under them that wasn't good for them."
Russell Crowe's busy career means the boys don't always see their dad
Russell Crowe is passionate about his career, which is good because he continues to land leading parts, including 2023's "The Pope's Exorcist." There are even some forgotten films that fans are rediscovering. But having a demanding career and raising children is a challenge, and Crowe has had to work hard to find a balance.
In a 2016 interview with Daily Mail, he spoke about how the best decision for his sons at the time was for them to be in school in Australia, but that doesn't mean it was an easy choice. "It's very difficult for me because when I leave, I'm not going to see them for weeks, often months. But that's the sacrifice you make," Crowe said.
Speaking with The Independent in 2005, Crowe gave a glimpse into the struggles of being a parent who works away from home. "I just got a little bit homesick, so that's why the sentences started going out of the window. When we started talking about my child," he told the publication, adding, "Yeah, I haven't seen Danny and Charlie for a few days. And in this town, it's difficult. The time difference is just a pain in the arse, and I'm in a hotel downtown, so you're not dealing with [the] world's most sophisticated phone system either."
Russell Crowe's boys are not allowed to Google him
Russell Crowe has been open about his struggles of finding a balance between fatherhood and work commitments. Having to leave his children when they were younger pained him. But he also felt it was vital to show them the importance of not giving up on your dreams.
"One of the very worst things I could do for my children would be to provide a bad example where I gave up on my passions and did not show them a very strong and essential work ethic," he told Daily Mail in a 2016 interview. "Because I think that's something that is important to show them." Still, with a father like Crowe and the star power he commands, there would always be headlines about him. And, as most celebrities have experienced at some point in their career, not all of the content will be framed positively. This meant Crowe had to set a rule for his children when they were younger: stay off Google, at least when it comes to searching for him.
"My kids are old enough now to Google, and you somehow have to explain to them about other people's interpretations of who you are, what you may have said, and why so much they read is absurd," Crowe is reported to have told Sunday Style (via Now To Love).
It's unlikely that Russell Crowe's sons will become actors
Russell Crowe knows that working in the entertainment industry is not easy. It would be best to have tough skin and serious grit and determination. He acknowledged the downsides of fame in a 2007 appearance on "The Tonight Show" (via People), and his comments suggest that he doesn't want his children to follow in his footsteps.
"You've got to put up with massive amounts of rejection and there's gonna be things that don't go your way, so when you look at your little beautiful kid, it's not really the sort of thing you'd want him to pursue," he said. "There are better things you can do in your life."
Although becoming a father has changed who Crowe is in many ways, who he is at his core and his passion for his work remains the same. "Fatherhood hasn't changed who I am, essentially, as a person," he told The Independent in 2005. "So I'm not going to be mellow or less passionate in my work."
Charlie has been comfortable infront of the cameras since childhood
It's true that Russell Crowe's sons have chosen to live their lives away from the public eye, and that he and his ex-wife ensured that they were raised with some level of normalcy (meaning they did not share too much about their lives and their children were raised in Australia, rather than Hollywood). Still, that doesn't mean that Charles and Tennyson have not had experience with paparazzi, and their photos have been taken several times, especially when they were younger.
While this could have made them incredibly shy, Crowe retold an amusing story about Charles as a child, which suggests he was completely comfortable in front of the camera. During a 2007 appearance on "The Tonight Show" (via People), the actor said, "I was at a radio press conference in New York, and I thought it would be alright if I just brought [Charlie] in with me and set him on my knee. I said, 'You know, we talked about this, you can't be noisy or anything — this is an interview.' The very first thing he does is lean over and twist one of the microphones to him [and says], 'Daddy, I would like to tell a joke' — and then he proceeded in front of these 30 journalists to tell his favorite." Adorable, right?
Charlie and Tennyson have grown up privileged
Growing up as the children of two actors meant that Charlie and Tennyson Crowe would always attract attention from the media, especially considering their father's star power. But, for the most part, they seem to have enjoyed a relatively normal childhood, although they have been privileged. We cannot say with certainty if they want for nothing, but their parents' wealth would have allowed them to enjoy the finer things in life.
Russell Crowe also had to be careful about how much he chose to spoil his children, and he spoke about striking a balance early into fatherhood. In a 2005 interview with The Independent (at the time, he was only a father to Charles), he said, "Giving Charlie a level of balance is going to be difficult. Our natural leaning is to give him whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. I know that I can't just do that, so I have to learn restraint in my generosity. It's going to be hard for me to make sure I'm always mindful of the balance."
We know that Charles and Tennyson's lives are in stark contrast to how their father grew up. "We had very little. My father never let me know it directly, but when I stayed up late listening at the kitchen door, I'd hear conversations my parents would have about how were they going to get money for this or for that," Crowe recalled in his interview with Daily Mail.
Russell Crowe's sons have a successful father, but he wants them to work
Russell Crowe has amassed an impressive fortune. It would be enough for his children to live comfortably without having to work, but this is not something Crowe would ever want for them. He wants his sons to be passionate and hardworking, finding their way in the world with his support.
"I will never, ever put them in a situation financially where they don't have to [earn money] themselves. I've told them, 'I don't care what you do in your life, but if you do the thing you love, you are going to have much more fun,'" he told Sunday Style (via Now To Love).
He has also spoken about his work commitments, revealing how he drops everything "between December 27 and January 15" to dedicate spending time with his children. In an interview with Australian radio show "Fitzy & Wippa" (via Daily Mail), he said, "As you know, I'm divorced now. And like many other blokes out there that are probably listening, I have limited time with my children." This must be especially difficult for Crowe because he really wanted to be a father. Danielle Spencer discussed this in an interview with Australian Daily Telegraph (via DigitialSpy). "Once Russell has an idea in his head, that's it," she said. "He was certain he wanted children, but I could have kept procrastinating about it. Then I fell pregnant on our honeymoon, and the decision was made for me."
When they stay over at their dad's, they sleep in the same room
Having split custody of his children meant Russell Crowe could not spend as much time with them. So, when they did have the opportunity to be together, they made the most of it. Having a strong bond with his sons has always been a priority in Crowe's life.
"There is nothing cooler than being that close to your kids," he told Sunday Style in 2016 (via Nine.com.au). "One of my greatest fears is that over time they won't want to spend all of their school holidays there with me. Because that is the best part of my year, when I have them to myself." This is not the only time that the "Unhinged" actor has spoken about his children in an overwhelmingly positive way, and from his interviews, it's clear how much he misses them when they're apart. "You start scratching your head and try to work out how you ever lived without 40 or 50 cuddles a day," he told The Independent in 2005. "The change in my life that has taken place after becoming a husband and father is massive."
Crowe elaborated on how his life transformed, telling Steve Kroft in 2006 for "60 Minutes," "I don't have the leisurely time that I have used to have to go out with my mates and get on the drink, you know?"
They don't want their dad to speak about them in interviews
Whether Charles or Tennyson Crowe will decide to pursue a career in the entertainment industry remains to be seen, but if they did, they would have their father to teach them all there is to know. This may also include how to give interviews, something Russell Crowe has done many times. He has also habitually not revealed too much about his children and their lives, despite it being a topic he could easily speak about.
"If it was up to me, I'd talk about my kids all day long — I'd tell you all the stories from their lives and everything about them," he told Daily Mail in 2016. "But it does impact on their privacy, and it does make them a point of conversation at school. And they would really prefer to be a little bit more under the radar." Crowe is all too aware of the dangers of living your life in the public eye, and he and Danielle Spencer have worked hard to keep their children as sheltered from that as possible.