Russell Crowe discovers reason he acts out -- Tempestuous actor relates to the Canadian branch of his poetic, crockery-smashing ancestors in BBC series -- By CATHRYN ATKINSON

From Thursday's Globe and Mail -- September 27, 2007

Oscar-winning movie star Russell Crowe, known as much for his hot temper as he is for acting, has some irascible ancestors in British Columbia, a British television program has revealed.

The Australian actor's great-grandfather, who immigrated to Canada in 1925, was a Kelowna, B.C., auctioneer, known for breaking plates and reciting poetry.

The similarities came to light as Mr. Crowe filmed an episode this month of Who Do You Think You Are?, a British Broadcasting Corp. family history series that investigates the genealogy of well-known people.

The 43-year-old actor has been known to throw objects and recite poems at unusual moments, too. In 2005, he hurled a mobile phone that hit a New York hotel employee; he was given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to third-degree assault.

And he was forced to apologize for roughing up a television producer in 2002, after he was cut off while reading a poem by Irish poet Patrick Kavanaugh during an acceptance speech for the film A Beautiful Mind.

His great-grandparents, Frederick William and Kezia Crowe, along with most of their 15 children, emigrated in 1925 from Wrexham, Wales, near the border with England. The actor's grandfather, John, the couple's eldest child, remained behind and later emigrated to New Zealand, where Russell Crowe was born in 1964.

The Canadian branch of the Crowe family settled first in rural Alberta, where they tried to establish a ranch. After losing a son in the Second World War, Mr. Crowe's great-grandparents moved to Kelowna in their 60s and started Crowe's Auction.

Local genealogist Bob Hayes was hired by the BBC to investigate for the series. He said he has up to 40 requests a year for his services, but said this was "by far the most fun."

Retired auctioneer Bill Whitehead worked for the Crowes from the time they arrived in Kelowna in 1947 to 1954. A member of the Okanagan Historical Society for more than 50 years, Mr. Whitehead had written an article about Crowe's Auction for the society's magazine in 2001 without knowing the connection to the famous actor, whose films he has never seen.

Now 89 years old, Mr. Whitehead remembered Fred Crowe as "a typical old English gentleman," while Kezia Crowe was a hard-working woman who suffered from a rheumatism-induced limp. He said they'd turned to auctioneering as they had made a similar living before leaving Wales.

"[Mr. Crowe] wasn't the greatest auctioneer in the world; he liked to talk too much instead of sell," Mr. Whitehead recalled. "He used to tell stories about how you could pick up a heavy dinner plate and pound a nail into a wall without hurting it. He'd ask for a 10-cent bid on something and somebody would offer a nickel and he'd get mad and throw the cup on the floor."

Instead of turning off potential buyers, Mr. Whitehead said the trick got customers' attention and turned into a regular feature. He added that Fred Crowe used to frequently recite verses while selling items, a favourite being about blue willow pattern of china.

Mr. Whitehead also recalled the Crowes' 50th anniversary wedding celebration in 1952, when he met their long-missed son John, Russell Crowe's grandfather, whom they had left behind 27 years previously.

Kezia Crowe died while on a business trip to Vancouver in 1954. Her husband sold the auctioneering house soon after. Fred Crowe lived to be 91, passing away in 1973. They are buried together in Kelowna.

Russell Crowe's international breakthrough role was in 1997's L.A. Confidential. He won the Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator in 2001 and currently stars in the Western 3:10 to Yuma. As a child in Australia, he had worked as an extra while his parents were film-location caterers. Like the rest of his well-dispersed family, they led a nomadic life, not moving into a house until he was 14.

The actor's parents at one point ran an inn in Australia which had a reputation for rowdiness. It was called The Flying Jug.

Thanks, Oz Fan