Russell Crowe was set to appear at a panel discussion about his latest project, The Loudest Voice , a Showtime series that focuses on the late Fox News chairman, Roger Ailes, but things did not go according to plan. The actor was reportedly thrown into a rage after the panel host introduced Ailes as a “sick person.”
According to Page Six , Crowe, who is known for being dramatic in his personal and professional life, was in Manhattan to talk about the series, in which he plays Ailes, when he lost his cool. The event producers reportedly chose to introduce Ailes in a negative light, and the Gladiator actor wasn’t having it.
According to one source, Russell became enraged as soon as he heard in the introduction and refused to appear on the stage, leaving his castmates, Sienna Miller, Naomi Watts, Annabelle Wallis and Seth MacFarlane, onstage waiting.
“It was harmless. But Russell threw himself into a rage as soon as he heard it. It had not been preapproved by his people,” the source said. “He refused to walk out on the stage. He was screaming at people and then just stormed out onto the street.”
Reportedly, host Ricky Camilleri referred to Ailes as a “sick person,” and expanded further on his opinion of the Fox News chairman, who retired in 2016 following allegations of sexual harassment.
The 55-year-old actor apparently returned after the panel for a press interview, where he “completely unloaded on the host,” according to the source.
Another source says that the account is exaggerated, and that Crowe was merely concerned that the interview wouldn’t be unbiased after the introduction.
“[Crowe] was concerned the interview would be biased given our host saying [Ailes] was not a good guy. That’s the end of the story. Our studio is a place of respect and comfort, and everyone who comes here has a great time. It’s just not true,” said a representative for the panel.
Crowe’s representative says that the actor chose not to appear after the unfriendly introduction, but that he wasn’t in a rage.
“This is not correct. Russell did not ‘freak out,’ and there was no ‘curse-filled tirade.’ He simply made the decision not to do the interview following the host’s intro,” the rep said.
The rep also added that Crowe graciously accepted the host’s apology.
The miniseries “The Loudest Voice,” featuring Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes, is a pungent profile of a nauseating figure. https://t.co/bh31Tyo9sm
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) June 30, 2019
The Loudest Voice is a limited series based on the 2014 book The Loudest Voice in the Room by Gabriel Sherman. It documents Ailes’ rise and fall at the network.