Flashback: Actor Russell Crowe made big headlines in 2005 when he had a "phone fit" and threw a telephone at a hotel clerk in NYC. Crowe was angry because he couldn't get a phone call through to his wife in Australia.

Cut to present: Crowe is a new man. Now a daddy, not a baddy. And he's throwing Skype at his communications needs--calmly connecting with his wife and two young sons back in Oz.

Crowe uses Skype to stay in touch with his sons, according to Parade magazine and the Celebrity Baby Blog.

The blog is entitled: "Russell Crowe's Solution to Separation? Skype!"

The native Kiwi-born actor, who makes his home Down Under, is gaga for fatherhood.

Declaring himself "blessed," Crowe gushed to Parade: "It was the right time for me to become a dad, I needed it."

How does Crow balance family life with bringing home the bacon from his flicks, including the just-released "State of Play" ?

The blog notes: "His temporary solution? Skype! With a camera that allows him a peek into the family home, the proud papa jokes that 'every now and then I can sort of just burst into the playroom,' much to the delight of both father and sons.

"When they seem happy to see me, even if I'm thousands of miles away, it's pretty special.

What's good enough for Crowe to crow about is good enough for you to download. So why not join the A-list?

Use Skype. No need to throw phones.