No Obama invite for Russell Crowe’s birthday

Russell Crowe says there’s a reason President Obama didn’t call him up and invite him over to the White House on his birthday: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The Academy Award winner marked his 51st birthday on Tuesday while in the nation’s capital promoting his latest film, “The Water Diviner.”

“I was expecting, actually, you know April the 7th that [Obama] might call up and say, ‘Come around for a barbecue, you know, I know it’s your birthday,” Crowe told ITK with a laugh on the red carpet at the U.S. Navy Memorial.

“But you know, he must be busy,” the “Gladiator” star said. “He must be busy dealing with the Rand Paul deal, other things, world events.”

Paul announced he was running for president in 2016 earlier that day. But Crowe — who tweeted his support for Obama in 2012, calling him “the light and the future“ — is remaining mum about who he’s rooting for in the next race for the White House. “Absolutely no opinion about that at this point in time,” he said.

Rather than putting on a party hat with Obama for his birthday, Crowe said he was busy getting the word out about “The Water Diviner,” his first foray into directing a feature film. The actor plays an Australian farmer and water diviner in the post-World War I movie who heads to Turkey on a mission to track down his three missing sons who fought in the Battle of Gallipoli.

“I think, particularly if you’re a parent, this film will connect with you on a very personal level,” Crowe said. “I think there’s a lot of things that people will get out of this, mainly potential for the future and hope, really.”

“The Water Diviner” hits theaters on April 24.