Russell Crowe’s last release, Nuremberg, was widely appreciated for its different take on the source material and for presenting something new that they had not already seen in its predecessor, Stanley Kramer’s Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Among many elements of the movie that made it so unique and a must-watch, Crowe’s exquisite and elegant acting performance was lauded the most. 

While filming for a period drama is always tough, the challenge was more strenuous for the 61-year-old actor because of a health issue and the changes he had to make in order to survive that ordeal.

According to RadarOnline.com, Russell Crowe's friends thought he was "at death's door" before he made some significant lifestyle adjustments that caused him to lose 57 pounds. During an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience while promoting his film Nuremberg last year, the Gladiator star talked candidly about his drastic weight loss. He revealed on the podcast that he had lost precisely 57 pounds in the previous year.

When his weight reached over 250 pounds during the filming of Nuremberg, Crowe acknowledged that his health had spun out of hand and that it was kind of a wake-up call to turn things around. 

“Russell knew he was in trouble - his weight was putting him at serious risk. He was exhausted, constantly in pain, and struggling to move the way he used to,” said a friend close to Russell Crowe. 

However, Crowe's perseverance took over, and he started to cut back and practice moderation. He learnt to control his instincts, reduced his alcohol intake, and set a weekly limit of one fun night. 

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His health seems to be of no concern now, and he looks a lot healthier than before, but the journey was hard, especially with the injuries.

Russell Crowe turned to the health services platform Ways2Well for assistance. As part of a wellness program, Crowe has had injections to assist him in managing a number of ailments he has sustained from physically demanding roles throughout the years.     

“I'm not really across the science, but the real benefit I'm getting are from these injections into my shoulders, my knees and also IVs. It's calmed down my body's inflammation,” Crowe said. He further explained that he has been carrying several injuries from several previous roles. He has severe arthritis in his shoulders, which has reduced significantly since he started working with the fitness platform.

Crowe is now focused on staying on this regimen and not getting too excited with his recent weight loss, as a slight slip-up can put him back to square one. He is determined to continue with the same rhythm, even if he is swamped with work, and keep his progress steady. While he is working on his new project, Netflix has added Nuremberg recently to its new releases. Now, you can watch this WWII drama with a new perspective on the actor involved.  

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What do you think of Russell Crowe’s transformation? Share your thoughts in the comments.