Russell Crowe considers retiring from acting as he approaches 60

Crowe has spent four decades working as an actor, but at 60, is it time to call it quits? Photo / Getty Images

Russell Crowe, 59, is allegedly tossing up quitting the screen for good.

The Kiwi-born star has spent four decades working as an actor, but now that the big 6-0 is fast approaching, Crowe is contemplating his next chapter outside of the film world, reports Variety.

While at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in Czech Republic, the actor said: “You are standing in front of the mirror, and go: ‘Who the f*** is that?’ I am in that period now.”

The Les Misérables star name-dropped 85-year-old director Ridley Scott when talking about putting on the years while working in the film industry.

“I will take Ridley Scott as my role model: he is still discovering new things in his work. Or I will just stop and you will never hear from me again,” he said. “I haven’t decided what it’s going to be. These are two very valid choices.”

Scott and Crowe worked together in the blockbuster movie Gladiator, which nabbed Best Picture in 2001 and awarded Crowe with the Best Actor gong.

Oscar winners Julia Roberts, who won as Best Actress for her role in Erin Brockovich, and Russell Crowe who was named Best Actor for his role in Gladiator, pose backstage at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 25, 2001. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Scott’s current film project is the new Gladiator sequel and it seems the Hollywood director isn’t retiring anytime soon.

With 20 upcoming films in the works, Scott has a busy schedule for the next few years, as does Crowe with a reported eight movies in the pipeline, according to IMDB.

While Crowe won’t feature in the Gladiator sequel - the actor’s character dies in the first film - he is certain the movie will be epic with Scott at the helm of the project.

“I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular,” Crowe shared.

Looking towards the future, The Pope’s Exorcist star dropped some hints regarding some films he’d like to bring to life.

Russell Crowe in The Pope's Exorcist. Photo / Supplied

The actor-turned-documentarian has a few documentaries that are set to be released when Crowe is ready.

“In order to release them, I have to make them legally comfortable. And to me, that destroys the point,” he said.

“So I just have to wait longer, wait for some people to die, and then I can put them out.”