Crowe hopes hotel worker will accept his apology

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe hopes the man he injured during an altercation at a New York City hotel in the early hours of Monday morning will accept his apologies.

The Gladiator star lost his temper with night porter Nestor Estrada at the Mercer Hotel after Estrada reportedly failed to connect the Crowe's phone call to his family in Australia. He threw his room's telephone against a wall which police say inflicted minor injuries on Estrada's face in the process.

Although Crowe maintains he did not intend to hurt Estrada, he accepts full responsibility for the results of his hot-headed actions and hopes his victim can find it in himself to accept his apology.

Last night Crowe told US TV chat show host David Letterman, "(It is) possibly the most shameful situation I've ever gotten myself in in my life. And I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. So to actually make a new number one is spectacularly stupid.

"Hopefully at some stage, I'll be able to apologise directly to Nestor. But at the moment, he's not answering his phone."

Crowe has been charged with second degree assault and possession of a weapon - the phone. He has been ordered to return in September.