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Crowe; Bad-boy bully, or passionate perfectionist?

Once again, Russell Crowe has stolen the show. In Ron Howard's new film, Cinderella Man, the rugged Australian actor has floored critics and audiences alike with a bravura performance. Crowe soars in the role of James Braddock, the washed-up, Depression-era boxer who became a folk hero when he defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935.

Here he opens up about his work, about how family life has changed him, and the forces that drive him in life

Before we talk about the film, how is life as a father these days?
Being a dad is a fantastic experience. My life has changed for the better and in an immeasurable way. Every single day of my life I get 30 or 40 extra cuddles that I didn't get before and, quite frankly, I don't know how I survived the days without them! You can't imagine the kick I get when he looks up at a sky, points to a seagull, and says, 'Duck!'

Cinderella Man is the kind of epic personal tale you seem drawn to. What was it about Braddock's story that made you want to do this film?
This film was such a resonant story. Not just about who Braddock was as a boxer, but who he was before; where he came from, and who he became after he was a champion. How he stayed engaged with society and watched his kids grow up, watched his grandchildren be born. He died in 1974 in the same house that he bought with the money he earned from winning the championship in 1935 and he was still desperately in love with his wife. The more I read about him, the more I liked him.

This is the second time you've worked with director Ron Howard. What is your opinion of him?
Ron is the greediest director I've ever worked with. He'll just keep grinding you all day. And that's exactly what you want. You want someone who will not let go, who will keep pushing.

He's not often mentioned by the media among the names of the top directors, but that's a huge oversight. If you look at what he did with A Beautiful Mind and this film, you'll see what a gift he has for storytelling.

You're a man who has criticised other actors recently for not respecting the integrity of their profession by doing commercial ads, what aggravates you about this so much?
The older I get, the more crotchety I'm going to get about that integrity. I don't think, just because you have the public's attention, it's now a prerequisite for you to completely sell out your moral centre. If I ever stop being the guy that can answer your question straight and look you in the eye and give you my opinion, then I should stop making films.

Couldn't you make life a little easier for yourself if you wouldn't be so insistent on things?
I believe I have a responsibility to myself and to the public to work at a high standard and work in films that have a high standard. You have to fight to maintain those standards if you want to protect your legacy.

Maybe there's some egotism involved, but that's a very small part of it. I want to preserve what I feel is a bond or element of trust between me and the audience because I feel that no matter what the media puts out about me personally, the public understands what I'm about and what I'm trying to achieve.

What was your sense of responsibility to Braddock's character and his legacy?
It was to make sure that if Braddock's grandchildren or great-grandchildren would see the movie, they would see that we did a good job. That we showed how a man with nothing could fight for his family, could fight for his honour as a man, and go on to win the heavyweight championship when no one gave him a chance or expected him to get more than his brains knocked out.

And what is even more impressive than just that part of the story, is that after he retired, he didn't become an alcoholic or let his life fall apart. He owned a restaurant, he looked after his family very well, and he kept his integrity all the way through that process. I have enormous respect for that and in my own life I want to maintain the same kind of integrity.

Even if that means stirring things up once in a while?
Yes. But so much gets exaggerated and twisted that the point is more to create a story and turn something into a scandal than to tell the truth.

When I got angry at a BBC producer for cutting out part of my speech at the BAFTAs (when Crowe accepted the best actor award for A Beautiful Mind), it was because I wanted to thank John Nash because the film was about him and that was the whole point. That kind of thing disturbed me because it violates the spirit of what you're trying to accomplish. What's the point if we can't do things the right way?

Do you think your public image will ever soften?
I think in the end the truth tends to come out. I love acting; I love the challenge that comes with making films. That's where my focus is and I think people will respect that if they look at the work I've done. The rest of it isn't very important.