RUSSELL CROWE - CROWE: 'I WOULDN'T EXPOSE PENIS IN EUCALYPTUS'

Actor RUSSELL CROWE has revealed the real reason his new movie EUCALYPTUS was axed - he refused to pose for a full-frontal nude shot.

The Australian film - in which Crowe was due to star opposite fellow antipodean NICOLE KIDMAN - was cancelled suddenly last week (begs14FEB05), amid rumours of a bust-up between its stars and the director JOCELYN MOORHOUSE.

But Crowe insists he balked at the idea of exposing himself on camera - even though he was offered a prosthetic appendage.

He says, "I was taken aback at the addition of a scene requiring me to expose my penis to the young QUEEN ELIZABETH."

Crowe also laughs off rumours of a rift between him and Kidman - who was also reported to be angry at his recent criticism of actors who appear in commercials.

He says, "What next? Perhaps I wanted to play Nicole's role as well. Yes that must be it, Crowe needed nicer skirts."