Russell Crowe, the star actor who rose to stardom in the film industry with his performance in the 2000 period drama Gladiator, appears to have gained weight for a movie role and is unrecognizable.

According to Page Six, the Oscar winner is currently adopting a quiet profile in order to get in shape.

Russell hasn’t been in the spotlight recently, according to an insider, since he’s attempting to lose weight so he can appear like the superstar he once was. Fans of the actor know that he’s not afraid to change his body for different roles.

“The reason no one has seen Russell in a while is he’s dieting,” a source said. “He wants to emerge after his body looks better.”

Crowe has a history of physical transformations for film roles, and there was suspicion that he gained weight for his next road-rage thriller, “Unhinged.” He’s also in another thriller, “The Georgetown Project,” and he bulked up for his role as Roger Ailes in the miniseries “The Loudest Voice” last year.

“He was embarrassed by those photos of him with his belly out …,” a source stated of the Oscar winner. “He likes to eat. He eats a lot of steaks and junk food. It’s tough for him to switch gears into a healthier lifestyle.”

Russell skipped the Globes last month to be in Australia during the wildfires that ravaged the country. He talked about how he celebrated his triumph on the Australian radio show “Fitzy & Wippa.”

“[I had] a normal family dinner in the bush, kids everywhere. We passed around my Golden Globe from ‘A Beautiful Mind’ and everybody had the opportunity to deliver an acceptance speech,” he said. “This time of year, it’s difficult for me to engage in that stuff.”