'Sleeping Dogs' star Russell Crowe wants his children to pursue other passions besides acting
Russell Crowe and his ex-wife, Danielle Spencer, welcomed two children during their almost decade-long marriage: sons Charles and Tennyson.
The pair married in 2003, separated in 2012 and eventually finalized their divorce in 2018. Crowe and Spencer celebrated the arrival of Charles in December 2003, a few months after their wedding earlier that spring, and Tennyson joined the family nearly three years later.
In a 2016 interview with the Daily Mail, the actor revealed that after his separation from Spencer, the former couple decided to have their sons live with their mom in Australia. “Our main focus is on our children so they feel safe and secure,” Crowe said, explaining that they have a “family holiday together about once a year."
The Sleeping Dogs star also went on to say that if it were up to him, he would “talk about my kids all day long ... But it does impact their privacy and it does make them a point of conversation at school."
Still, he's enjoyed being a dad behind the scenes. “Parenthood is one of the most special things that’s ever come up in my life," Crowe said on The Tonight Show in 2007.
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The Oscar winner occasionally shares about the time he spends with Charles and Tennyson.
In July 2022, he took his sons and some friends to Italy. Crowe posted a photo of them at the Colosseum on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “Taking the kids to see my old office," referencing his famous role in Gladiator.
Here’s everything to know about Russell Crowe’s children: sons Charles and Tennyson.
Charles Spencer Crowe, 20
Crowe’s first son, Charles, was born on Dec. 21, 2003, only a few months after the actor and Spencer wed.
When he was a young child, Charles appeared to want in on some of the attention his dad was getting. In a 2007 interview on The Tonight Show, Crowe talked about bringing him to a radio press conference when he was 3 years old.
“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.”
Still, Crowe said he wouldn’t want his older son to follow in his footsteps, explaining that acting is about dealing with “massive amounts of rejection,” so it’s “not really the sort of thing you’d want him to pursue.”
Of course, Charles was still fascinated by his dad’s career as a kid. In 2009, Crowe said that his elder son was excited for his dad to play Robin Hood.
Over time, though, the sentiment was less prevalent, according to the actor.
“My eldest has a thing where he simply says, ‘Dad, never expect me to think you’re cool ... doesn’t matter what you do, you can’t be cool cause you’re my dad,' ” Crowe told Extra in 2016.
Charles graduated high school in November 2021, a milestone that Spencer celebrated on Instagram along with a rare photo of her son, showing a striking resemblance to his father.
In the caption, she wrote, “Time is flying way too fast. So proud of you. Love you beyond words Charlie.”
Tennyson Spencer Crowe, 17
Crowe’s second son, Tennyson, was born on July 7, 2006.
Over the years, the actor has also talked about paying attention to his sons' interests on The Howard Stern Show.
In 2019, Crowe revealed that he had gifted Charles and Tennyson something extremely rare and valuable: an actual dinosaur head that he bought from Leonardo DiCaprio.
“My kids, particularly my eldest, were fascinated, and they were into dinosaurs,” he said, adding that it happened around 2008 and 2009. “So here we go, here’s one for the playroom.”
Since then, his children's priorities have slightly shifted. In 2020, during a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Crowe said his sons were quarantining in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Golden Globe winner explained he was in a remote area, “in the bush," where his parents live, while Charles and Tennyson were in Sydney with their mom.
When Crowe asked them why, Tennyson said they wanted to stay there for the food. “My youngest one, who is just too honest, said, ‘Uber Eats,’ ” the actor shared in amusement.
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