Russell Crowe in Acropolis Now

Is that Russell Crowe, playing a girl-shy nerd in a 1991 episode of the sitcom Acropolis Now? It is – and the novelty of seeing him before his brood-and-smoulder era gives the scene its spark. 

Crowe, kitted out in a shiny tracksuit and oversized glasses, leans into the physical awkwardness of the role. The discomfort works for him, especially when set against the high-confidence comic rhythms of Effie (Mary Coustas) and Jim (Nick Giannopoulos). Their timing, posture and expressive hair flicks show how fully they inhabit their characters, creating an exaggerated Greek-Australian sitcom world that has its own internal logic and charm. 

Within that heightened universe, Crowe becomes the perfect foil – a future Gladiator edged into a corner by big personalities and even bigger energy.