Son inspires Russell Crowe to quit smoking

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe has quit smoking after his eagle-eyed son caught him stubbing out a cigarette.

According to The Express, the Crowe smoked two or more packs a day for many years, but took great care to hide the evidence from his young children, Charlie and Tennyson.

Speaking at a press conference on the forthcoming live production of Ben Hur, for which he will be narrator, Crowe described the incident that made him decide it was time to quit once and for all.

"I was in my office ... and I thought I heard my office door open and I looked around and couldn't see anything, so I had my cigarette," Australian newspaper The Herald Sun quoted him as saying. 

"Later on I leaned over to put my cigarette out and he [son Charlie] was lying between the couch and the table and he definitely saw me having a smoke. And that was my very last one."

It would appear that Crowe, who has spoken openly in the past about his struggle to quit smoking, no longer needs to consider treatment such as stop smoking hypnosis. On this occasion, his son's disappointed face was clearly just as effective at curing the addiction.

The Herald Tribune report that the Robin Hood star now plans to devote the coming year to his young family. Crowe declared: "I don't want to get on a plane again this year."

"I want again to take a step back and put a normal rhythm back into the kids' lives," he added.