Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, who has done films like 'Gladiator' and 'The Insider', revealed that he could have been more famous if he had signed the roles in two very successful franchises.
According to Fox News, Russell was offered to play Aragorn in Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' film series and Wolverine in the 'X-Men' franchise which he passed on.
"I didn't think [director] Peter Jackson actually wanted me on the film; I think he was forced into talking to me. There was a moment in time where everybody wanted me in everything," the 55-year-old actor said during an interview with Howard Stem.
"And he's a fellow New Zealander; so I can hear his voice. I'm talking to him on the phone. And it's like, I don't think he even knows what I've done. My instinct was that he had somebody else in mind, which turned out to be Viggo Mortensen. And he should be allowed to hire the actor that he wants," he added.
The actor also opened up about why he left the role of Wolverine, which went on to Australian actor, Hugh Jackman.
"There's no way I would have ever done that. Even if I'd done the film, I wouldn't have carried it through with the grace and the direction that Hugh gave it," Crowe admitted.
Other than this, Russell recently signed up for Derrick Borte's road-rage thriller 'Unhinged'.
He was last seen in Joel Edgerton's 'Boy Erased' and will next be seen in 'The True History by Kelly Gang'.
( With inputs from ANI )