Russell Crowe stars as Jor-El, Superman's Kryptonian father in the new comic book adaptation Man of Steel. With only a few days until the movie comes out, Contact managed to get a sit down with the acting great from Down Under to discuss his role in the film, in which he discussed how being a father affected his acting method in the movie as well as discuss a chance meeting he had with the film's titular star, Henry Cavill, more than a decade ago.

Watch the interview with Russell Crowe

Crowe discussed the father-son bond that is so prominent in the film, and how the portrayal of his character in the script eased him into playing the role, adding that his own experiences as a father made it all the more easier to play his part with conviction. "The biggest personal battle is to take your naturally born infant son and send him away. But if you don't do it in this moment then he dies along with the entire history of your planet as it exists," he says in the interview. The Oscar-winner then went on to explain how his own experience of giving up time with his son for his work had affected him, something he was able to work with during filming.

The actor then went on to recall a chance meeting he had previously had with Cavill, when Henry was just a kid at an English school he was filming at. The film's star came to talk to Crowe about acting, telling him "you get treated like sh*t but it pays well," before remembering that he had sent the young would-be actor a package to encourage his dream. "One of the things I sent him was a photograph from Gladiator and I wrote on it, 'Dear Henry, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'"

He then went on to discuss how he recognised him all these years later when they met whilst shooting Man Of Steel. "It was one of those beautiful little moments that this job affords you sometimes," he mused.

Man of Steel hits cinemas June 14 in the US and the UK and also stars Amy Adams, Lawrence Fishburne, Michael Shannon and Kenvin Costner as Jonathan Clark, Superman's adopted Earth father.

Watch the trailer for Man of Steel

Russell Crowe Les Mis
Crowe stars as Jor-El in the film

Russell Crowe Winters Tale
The actor has had a busy filming schedule of late