Friday, May 19, 2000

Russell Crowe, who earned an Oscar nomination for his work in "The Insider," now has the inside track for the lead role in "A Beautiful Mind," a role that Tom Cruise was considering.

The Hollywood Reporter says Crowe, currently on screen in the box-office hit "Gladiator," is negotiating to star in "A Beautiful Mind," which is to be directed by Ron Howard.

The story is based on Sylvia Nassar's biography of John Forbes Nash Jr., a dashing math genius whose life collapsed when he was stricken with schizophrenia.

After being institutionalized, fathering an illegitimate son, and engaging in a series of homosexual dalliances, Nash went on to win a Nobel prize. The Hollywood Reporter said Nash pioneered the study of "game theory". In 1994 won a Nobel for his work in economics 40 years ago.

There's no word on what took Cruise out of the running for the part.