How do Australians react to their famous fellow countryman?
Australians are a very lucky-go-happy kind of people. This is refreshing. Simultaneously they are quite free and easy towards strangers. They are talking to me where ever I go, asking for an autograph or a snapshot. This is quite nice for a while, but in the long run it can be nerve-wracking. In New Zealand the people are much more British — that is more reserved and guarded. Q: So why don’t you live in New Zealand? A: I feel more at home in Australia, and my family is one of the reasons for this. Plus, I need space to be able to breathe. And there’s plenty of space in the Australian outback. And besides, in addition to our dogs there are lots of poisonous snakes and spiders there that are scaring away nosy people (smiles). Every time I’m there I don’t have to drag more than two dead people out of the bushes…. Q: In “Gladiator” you play a man who is suffering because he is away from his wife and child. You are 37 and single. Are you afraid of marriage? A: Yes, I am unmarried, single
