In his latest role, RUSSELL CROWE stars as FBI agent Zack Grant. Recognized by Australia's Film Institute as one the country's leading actors, he was presented with its 1992 Best Actor Award for his work in the controversial film ROMPER STOMPER, directed by Geoff Wright. In 1991, he received the Australian Best Supporting Actor Award and an Australian Film Critics Circle Best Actor nomination for his role in the Jocelyn Moorhouse directed PROOF. Previously he was nominated for Best Actor by the Film Institute for THE CROSSING.
Practically raised on film sets by his location catering parents, Crowe had his first acting experience at the age of six with an appearance on the Australian television program Spy Force. By his mid-teens, he had moved to New Zealand and played in various bands. "I harbored a great desire to be Elvis Presley and still do, slightly," he once said. After making ends meet as a waiter and a bingo caller, he returned to Australia to make his feature debut in the 1990 film BLOOD OATH.
Soon to be seen opposite Sharon Stone in the much anticipated THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, directed by Sam Raimi, he recently received critical praise for the Cannes Film Festival debut of THE SUM OF US, directed by Kevin Dowling.
Other film credits include: Clare Peploe's ROUGH MAGIC with Bridget Fonda, FOR THE MOMENT, THE SILVER BRUMBY, HA~IERS OVER THE ANVIL, LOVE IN LIMBO and SPOTSWOOD. He vvill soon begin production on VIRTUOSITY. Theater audiences down under have seen him on stage in SIMPSON J. (202), BAD BOY JOHNNY AND THE PROFITS OF DOOM, BLOOD BROTHERS, and in the tour company of the ROCKY HORROR SHOW.
HELEN SLATER portrays Mary, the flight attendant. Ever since she defeated over five hundred actresses for the title role in SUPERGIRL, her film debut opposite Faye Dunaway and Peter O'Toole, audiences have grown accustomed to seeing this gifted performer on film, television and stage. She appeared in the lead role in THE LEGEND OF BILLE JEAN and opposite Bette Midler, Danny DeVito and Judge Reinhold in RUTHLESS PEOPLE, one ofthe top grossing films of 1986. The following year she starred with Michael J. Fox in the box office success THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS.
Other films in which Slater appeared in lead roles include: CITY SLICKERS, with Billy Crystal, Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern; BETRAYAL OF THE DOVE, written by Robby Benson and co-starring Billy Zane, Kelly LeBrock and Alan Thicker A HOUSE IN THE HILLS, with Michael Madsen and Jeffrey Tambor; STICKY FINGERS, which co-starred Eileen Brennan, Carol Kane, and Christopher Guest; and HAPPY TOGETHER, with Patrick Dempsey.
She recently starred in Paramount Pictures' LASSIE and the comedy THE STEAL, with Alfred Molina. Television credits include the ABC series Capi~al News, the made for television FOX Night at the Movies 12:01, guest roles on NBC's Seinfeld and HBO's Dream On, and the critically praised 1993 Showtime production of CHANTILLY LACE, a "guided improvisational film," with Lindsay Crouse, Jill Eikenberry, Martha Plimpton, Ally Sheedy, Talia Shire and JoBeth Williams. This all-star cast was reunited a year later for the follow-up PARALLEL LIVES which also starred Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, James Belushi, James Belushi, Gena Rowlands, Treat Williams and Jack Klugman.
Amidst her other acting assignments, she co-founded the New York theatre group The Naked Angels with a small group of actors, directors and writers to create a forum in which they could experiment with new and original material; she also founded the Los Angeles improvisational groups Otis Inspired and The Bubalaires. In addition, she starred in the offBroadway productions of ALMOST ROMANCE and RESPONSIBLE PARTES and made her west coast stage debut in the Pasadena Playhouse production of TlE BIG DAY.
Popular Japanese actor ETSUSHI TOYOKAWA plays the menacing Yakuza crime boss, Yuji. With extensive film, television and theatre credits, he has garnered an impressive collection of awards in his native country, including: the Best New Actor Award at the Yokohama Film Festival, Best Supporting Actor at the Osaka Film Festival, a Blue Ribbon nomination for Best Supporting Actor and the Best New Actor Award from the Japanese Academy. In addition, he has appeared in several popular national advertising campaigns.
MICHAEL LERNER appears as Serlano, the underworld crime boss. An actor recognized for his many memorable film and television characters, he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a movie studio mogul in Joel and Ethan Coen's BARTON FINK. The role earned him the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as an Academy Award nomination. Recent films include THE ROAD TO WELLEVILLE with Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda, and George Lucas' RADIOLAND MURDERS, opposite Mary Stuart Masterson. Widely praised for his roles of real-life personalities, he has depicted such figures as Jack Ruby in the acclaimed docudrama RUBY AND OSWALD, Arnold Rothstein in EIGHT MEN OUT, Pierre Salinger in THE MISSLES OF OCTOBER and legendary Columbia Pictures studio boss Harry Cohn in RITA HAYWORTH: LOVE GODDESS.
After initially studying acting in London on a Fullbright scholarship, he became a member of San Francisco's acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre. With a variety of stage roles to his credit, Los Angeles audiences most recently saw him in David Rabe's HURLYBURLY with Sean Penn and Danny Aiello.
A favorite of many esteemed directors, he worked with Bob Rafelson in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, Paul Mazursky in ALEX 1N WONDERLAND, John Sayles in EIGHT MEN OUT, Michael Ritchie in THE CANDIDATE, and Bigus Luna in ANGUISH. Other films include: Buena Vista's BLANK CHECK, NO ESCAPE with Ray Liotta, AMOS & ANDREW opposite Nicolas Cage and Samuel Jackson, NEWSIES with Robert Duvall and AnnMargret, HARLEM NIGHTS, STRANGE INVADERS, ST. IVES, and THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT.
His television work includes appearances in numerous movies of the week and specials, and the HBO movie COMRADES OF SUMMER with Joe Mantegna. He is currently filming THE GIRL IN THE CADILLAC with Bud Cort and Valerie Perrine, and recently wrapped Hollywood Pictures' A PYROMANIC'S LOVE STORY, with William Baldwin and Sadie Frost.