Hollywood star Russel Crowe has slammed the talent agency that claims to have launched his career. In an interview with Australian newspaper, director of Sydney-based Bedford and Pearce Management Martin Bedford criticized the shallowness of contemporary movie industry, saying "I could not produce another Russell Crowe now. It took us three years to build Russell to the point where major feature films were available."

"He was in seven features before we took his tapes to Hollywood, and even then they didn't look at him until after Romper Stomper," Bedford says.

But the Irish Examiner quotes the actor as saying: "Martin Bedford has had little or nothing to do with my career, except by association."

"In the past couple of years he has gotten into the habit of trying to rewrite history to suit himself."

"I have asked him through people that I actually do work with to stop this practice. My Australian agent until her retirement was Bedford's former business partner, Shirley Pearce. I have not had any Australian representative since Mrs Pearce retired.”

But still, Bedford insists to have helped Crowe embark on his acting career.

"His career started when I received a phone call from Wilton Morley, who was producing The Rocky Horror Show in New Zealand. He told me I should go and see this boy because he was very good. He had potential.”

"I think he's having a bad day,” Bedford told the Sydney Morning Herald.