Russell Crowe is facing a lawsuit from the hotel porter he injured at New York City's Mercer Hotel during a telephone rage assault earlier this month, after settlement talks collapsed.

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.

A chagrined Russell Crowe apologised for throwing a telephone at a hotel concierge this week, saying he reacted poorly to being a lonely family man away from home.

The hotel clerk who was allegedly the target of Russell Crowe's early morning rage on Mondayhas confessed he was so terrified of the ranting Gladiator star, he hid in an office.