Russell Crowe, star of 'Robin Hood,' which opens this weekend, got into a major tussle with BBC Radio 4 journalist Mark Lawson after the latter suggested Crowe's accent in the new bow and arrows epic had 'hints of Irish' in it.

The result: a macho meltdown from the outraged Crowe.

Here is how the conversation went:

Lawson: 'The accent you've given him, there are hints to me of Irish but what were you thinking of?'


Crowe: 'You've got dead ears mate. You've seriously got dead ears if you think that's an Irish accent.'

Lawson: 'Hints of ...'

Crowe: 'Bollocks ... I'm a little dumbfounded you could possibly find any Irish in that character. That's kind of ridiculous. It's your show. Whatever.’

Lawson: 'You're going for northern English?'

Crowe: 'No, I was going for an Italian, yeah. Missed it?'


Lawson: 'The, erm ...'

Crowe: '<bleep>'

Lawson: 'Anyway, the outlaw aspect of him must appeal to you ...'

Crowe: 'I don't get the Irish thing brother, I don't get it at all.'



Lawson's Radio 4 colleagues were so amused by the exchange that they've been rebroadcasting it and sending reporters north to learn the local dialects from acting coaches (just so they can repeat the exchange between Crowe and Lawson).