Russell Crowe tries his best at counterprogramming this weekend with his new prison break thriller, The Next Three Days . But how did Crowe get to the point of bankable action star after his debut on an Australian television series? You can always trace a direct line through a handful of roles (not necessarily his best roles, mind you) to illustrate what led to an actor’s current success, and with Crowe, that line twists through soap operas, cop dramas, thrillers, and, of course, one fateful Oscar night. Let’s look at eight performances — including one of his earliest — that trace the evolution of Russell Ira Crowe.
