Yesterday, Russell Crowe became the 2,404th person to be honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. In the course of reading up on this, I learned a few things about the famous Walk (which I've never visited; have you?): It stretches 2.4 miles down Hollywood Boulevard and Vine; it has a long and complicated history that includes a lawsuit from Charlie Chaplin Jr. (because his father was not included among the original honorees, though he has since received a star); it adds an average of two stars a month; and the stars are made of terrazzo and brass.

But back to Mr. Crowe, a fine actor and I suspect a local favorite since his appearance at the Seattle International Film Festival in 1993 (where he spoke at screenings of two films, "Hammers over the Anvil" and "Romper Stomper" and won the Golden Space Needle award for best actor). Crowe, who'll be seen next in Ridley Scott's "Robin Hood," gave a charming interview to the Hollywood Reporter in honor of his star, reassuring all that there will be no tights in his "Robin Hood" ("We start our story in 1199. Tights don't come into play until the 1600s. I do apologize of those who will be disappointed that there are no tights."), that he knows a great deal about his football club and little else, and that he's trying to quit smoking.

Though Crowe can occasionally coast on his rumpled charm ("A Good Year") or mumble his way through an underwritten role ("Body of Lies"), more often he's electric, as in "L.A. Confidential" (as tough cop Bud White, where he first irrevocably caught my attention), "The Insider" (still, I think, his best role), "Gladiator," "A Beautiful Mind," "Master and Commander," "3:10 to Yuma" and last year's "State of Play," among others. After "Robin Hood," we'll next see him later this year in Paul Haggis' drama "The Next Three Days," in which Crowe will play a man whose wife is accused of murder.

Here's the young -- but already intense -- Crowe with Charlotte Rampling in "Hammers Over the Anvil," shown at SIFF 17 years ago. (Photo courtesy SIFF.)