Claim: Russell Crowe turned down the opportunity to portray John F. Nash in the movie A Beautiful Mind.
Evidence: In 2001 , Crowe 's portrayal of mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John F. Nash in the biopic A Beautiful Mind brought him numerous awards , including a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role , a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role.