Crowe's Feat: No Loss of Oscar Votes

By Stephen M. Silverman

03/06/2002 at 01:00 PM EST

Despite speculation to the contrary, Russell Crowe, 37, has apparently NOT hurt his shot at a second Oscar with his recent shenanigans after the British Film Academy Awards. According to a random survey of Oscar voters conducted by PEOPLE.com, Academy members are not being swayed one way or another by the incident, in which the "A Beautiful Mind" star cursed out and threatened a BBC producer for having edited out a poem that Crowe delivered during his acceptance speech. (The edit was made for time.) Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a New York-based Oscar voter said that Crowe's behavior "has nothing to do with his performance" and "hasn't influenced my decision one iota." She added that the New Zealander's "rebellious" actions partially reflect how many New York voters feel in relation to their Hollywood colleagues. "He sort of operates outside of the system, just like we do," she said. Some West Coast voters conceded that Crowe's "arrogance" -- as one of them put it -- was initially thought to be a boost to his most likely rival, Denzel Washington for "Training Day," but, as one said, "What actor isn't arrogant? (Crowe) just got too carried away -- in front of witnesses." One non-showbiz wife of a movie producer stated that she actually marks her husband's ballot, "and I wouldn't vote for anyone but an American in the first place, so Russell Crowe could go slug an entire army and I still wouldn't vote for him. Therefore, you can say that what he did has not affected the way I voted."