Russell Crowe Skips His Golden Globes Win Because of Australian Fire Crisis: 'Respect Our Planet'

Russell Crowe on Sunday won the 2020 Golden Globes award for best actor in a miniseries or TV movie, for his portrayal of Roger Ailes.

But he skipped the show and his chance to make a victory speech, staying back in Australia because of the ongoing brushfire crisis there.

Instead, presenters Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston accepted the award on Crowe’s behalf — and delivered a pressing message from him about the perils of man-made climate change.

“Make no mistake, the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change-based,” Aniston shared, reading from Crowe’s remarks. “We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is. That way, we all have a future. Thank you.”

The Australia bushfires have claimed the lives of at least 17 people and burned through more than 11 million acres since starting in September.

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As the more than 130 fires continue to burn, ecologists from the University of Sydney believe some half a billion total mammals, birds and reptiles have died.

 

At Sunday’s show, Crowe, 55, beat out fellow nominees Chris Abbott (Catch-22), Sacha Baron Cohen (The Spy), Jared Harris (Chernobyl) and Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon). 

He was applauded for his transformation into Ailes for The Loudest Voice in the Room, on Showtime. Ailes, the former Fox News chief, abruptly exited his post following multiple allegations of sexual harassment in 2016.

He died 10 months later, in May 2017, after falling and hitting his head in his bathroom.

 

The project was based on extensive reporting by Gabriel Sherman for his bestselling book of the same name, for which he interviewed more than 600 people. It touched on the defining events of Ailes’ life, told through multiple points of view.

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This marks Crowe’s second Golden Globe win and his sixth nomination.

The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony is airing live on NBC from the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 5.