Duel with a Gladiator

by NICOLE LAMPERT, Daily Mail

The way he swung a sword while playing Maximus, you wouldn't want to meet him in a fight.

But when Gladiator star Russell Crowe found himself matched against a little boy who was armed only with a charming smile and twinkling eyes, it was no contest.

The youngster won hands down - and clearly also won the heart of the movie star.

The boy and a woman thought to be his mother - said to be Crowe's personal assistant - went for a meal with the actor at a Mexican fast-food restaurant near Los Angeles airport.

'The kid was pretty noisy, so everyone was looking,' said one onlooker. 'At first, I couldn't believe it was Russell Crowe because his hair was so long and blond - but everyone was whispering about him.

'He was playing with the child and didn't seem to mind even when the boy hit him in the face and played with his mouth.

'He and the boy looked like they were really close and could not stop kissing and cuddling.

'Certainly the kid knew Crowe well and was very comfortable. And the woman seemed perfectly happy with Crowe getting so close to him.'

The 37-year-old New Zealander, who has a formidable reputation as a hard man on and off screen, had picked up the two earlier in the day at a YMCA building. They went to watch a basketball match at a local pitch before going on to the restaurant, called Baja Fresh.

Crowe's long-term lover, Australian actress Danielle Spencer, did not join the outing, although she was seen with him in Los Angeles two days earlier.

The restaurant scenes have sparked speculation that the star may be preparing to have a child of his own, or even adopt. 'He certainly looked like the doting dad,' said the onlooker.

Crowe has grown his hair and dyed it for his new role in the Napoleonic war film Master And Commander. He has reportedly demanded that his favourite hairdresser be flown from Australia to the movie set in Mexico once a month, costing the production more than £100,000.

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