Hollywood star Russell Crowe has blasted an Australian talent agency that claims to have discovered him.

MARTIN BEDFORD, director of Sydney-based BEDFORD AND PEARCE MANAGEMENT, claims he "created" Crowe's career.

In an article in an Australian newspaper this week, Bedford attacked the current state of the Australian film industry, insisting, "I could not produce another Russell Crowe now. It took up three years to build Russell to the point where major feature films were available.

"He was in seven features before we took his tapes to Hollywood, and even then they didn't look at him until after ROMPER STOMPER."

But a bemused Crowe insists, "Martin Bedford has had little or nothing to do with my career, except by association."

In a lengthy statement, the actor adds, "In the past couple of years he has gotten into the habit of trying to rewrite history to suit himself."

"I have asked him through people that I actually do work with to stop this practice. My Australian agent until her retirement was Bedford's former business partner, SHIRLEY PEARCE. I have not had any Australian representative since Mrs Pearce retired.

"It was made clear to Mr Bedford as far back as 1987, by Mrs Pearce, that he would have no active participation in representing me as I did not want it. I disagreed completely with the type of job Mr Bedford deemed suitable for me."

Nevertheless, Bedford maintains he is responsible for Crowe's success. He tells Australian newspaper the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, "I think he's having a bad day. His career started when I received a phone call from WILTON MORLEY, who was producing THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW in New Zealand. He told me I should go and see this boy because he was very good. He had potential. Russell was invited to join the agency both by myself and Shirley Pearce."

21/07/2004 17:21