Actor Russell Crowe is proud of his ability to "live" a role. His motto is, "If you're gonna be a pirate, wear a patch."

Depending on his role, Crowe adjusts his diet. For his starring role in the movie Robin Hood, he reportedly lost 32kg.

However, a new biography on Crowe says that her strong inclination towards method acting on and off the screen has gotten him in trouble with the Southern Melbourne police.

In his role as Hando in Romper Stomper, he would head out the set and go places in full skinhead Nazi costume together with his fellow "gang members".

One night the gang was stopped by police and questioned who they were. They informed the police that they were actors but were still apprehended.

Russell Crowe The Biography, written by Martin Howden, takes the readers back to the early days in the career of Crowe.

The biography narrates of how Crowe started his career as a child extra. As he grew up, he realised that he wanted to be a rock star but lacked the talent. Still, Crowe manaegd to have a band named Dave Deceit and The Interrogatives, then formed Russell le Roq and The Romantics.

Afterwards, he accepted acting jobs for the Rocky Horror Show and Blood Brothers.

During that time, Crowe lived in a flat full of cockroaches and had to work as a waiter. He was fired though for being rude.

The rest of Crowe's story may be read from Russell Crowe The Biography.