NEW YORK – Actor Russell Crowe was arrested Monday morning for allegedly throwing a telephone at an employee of the Manhattan hotel where he was staying, police said.

Crowe, 41, who plays a boxer in his latest film “Cinderella Man,” allegedly threw the phone at the Mercer Hotel employee, striking him in the face, during an argument at around 4:20 a.m., said police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wysokowski.

The Australian movie star was arrested and charged by police with second degree assault, Wysokowski said. Crowe was expected to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court later on Monday.

An employee who answered the phone at the Mercer Hotel in SoHo said he was unaware of the incident.

Crowe won the Academy Award for best actor for “Gladiator” in 2001.

NY Post: RUSSELL Crowe has some seriously thin skin. The arrogant Aussie, who publicly criticized his “Cinderella Man” co-star Craig Bierko’s performance earlier this week, was so angry about the poor reviews for his flick in the New York papers that he refused to come down for interviews at the Essex House on Friday.

“At first they said he was a bit late, but then they said he was not coming,” one junketeering journo reports. “Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and director Ron Howard were already there doing interviews, and no sign of Mr. Crowe. We waited for three hours until we were told to leave.” Zellweger and Howard were said to be “lovely” despite the disappointing reviews.