Crowe feared for DiCaprio

Actor Russell Crowe was concerned for his pal Leonardo DiCaprio after his appearance in hit movie 'Titanic' - in case life in the spotlight ruined him.

'Gladiator' star Crowe met DiCaprio when they filmed Western movie 'The Quick and the Dead' in the early 1990s.

The two actors were both relatively unknown at the time, and became firm friends on set.

DiCaprio later shot to global superstardom as Jack Dawson in Oscar-winning 1997 movie 'Titanic' - and Crowe admits he feared the young actor would be sucked into the Hollywood promotion machine.

He told USA Today newspaper: "I was a little worried about him after Titanic. The massive success of something like that, it's not always a positive, particularly when you're that young.

"Suddenly you find yourself on lunchboxes and bedroom slippers. That can have a deteriorating effect on the inside."