Russell Crowe sends vital call to action on Australia fires after Golden Globes win
Russell Crowe wasn’t present at the 2020 Golden Globes ceremony to accept his award for Best Actor in a Limited Series or Film Made for TV. The Australian actor was busy protecting his family from the devastating bushfires ravaging Australia at the moment, the category’s co-presenter Jennifer Aniston said in a prepared statement from Crowe. Instead, the 55-year-old actor, who won the statuette for his performance in Showtime’s The Loudest Voice, sent a message to those listening.
“Make no mistake,” Aniston read, “the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change based. We need to act based on science, move our global work force to renewable energy, and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is. That way we all have a future. Thank you.”
According to the Associated Press, 12.35 million acres of land in Australia have been destroyed because of the fires, which continue to spread. At least 19 people have died since the fires began in September, hundreds of homes have been evacuated, and thousands of citizens are evacuating areas. The government deployed a number of military assets — including military reservists, aircrafts, and naval ships — to combat the fires, the amount of which hasn’t been seen since World War II, per experts cited by The New York Times.
A number of celebrities, including Pink and Nicole Kidman, have donated funds to help support the fire containment efforts.
In The Loudest Voice, Crowe portrayed Fox News cofounder Roger Ailes. The miniseries chronicled his reign at the conservative news network and his multiple scandals of sexual harassment that eventually led to his ousting. The seven-episode series, produced by Blumhouse TV, also featured Naomi Watts as Gretchen Carlson, Sienna Miller as Ailes’ wife Beth, Simon McBurney as Rupert Murdoch, and Annabelle Wallis as Laurie Luhn.
Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon), Sacha Baron Cohen (The Spy), Jared Harris (Chernobyl), and Christopher Abbott (Catch-22) were also nominated in the category.
Crowe has just a handful of TV credits under his belt, including stints in the late ’80s on popular Australian soap Neighbours and series Living With the Law.
This is his second Golden Globe win. The actor first received a statuette from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2001 for Gladiator.
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