Russell Crowe wasn’t at the 2020 Golden Globes. On one hand, that’s a shame: He won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, for his portrayal of the late, disgraced Fox News honcho Roger Ailes in Showtime’s The Loudest Voice. On the other hand, he had a very, very good reason: He’s in Australia, where he’s helping his family cope with and survive the ongoing bushfires ravaging the country-continent.
But the Oscar-winning actor had a Plan B: He left a message, that was delivered by presenter Jennifer Aniston, about the ongoing calamity, imploring that people do something about its true cause.
Russell Crowe, in absentia, with perhaps the most poignant statement you'll hear tonight pic.twitter.com/Tx0H5RruoU
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 6, 2020
“Make no mistake the tragedy unfolding in Australia is climate change-based,” went Crowe’s message. “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.”
Crowe’s message arrived mere minutes after host Ricky Gervais scolded the crowd of potential winners to not get political with their speeches. Nevertheless, Aniston, who is nominated for the The Morning Show, persisted, reading the speech with the fiery passion it deserved.
The speech was well-received on social media.
https://twitter.com/letsgomathias/status/1213993032242147329
I will take speeches like Russell Crowe's and Ramy Youssef's over glib nihilism, thanks.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) January 6, 2020
Russell Crowe said THANKS for the globe but CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/eVe7kq1iSh
— Kᴇʟɪᴀʜ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ Rᴇsɪᴅɪɴɢ ɪɴ Kᴀɴᴛʜᴏɴʏ Tᴏᴡɴ (@RealKDPFan4Eva) January 6, 2020
Good on Russell Crowe for drawing attention to climate change. Horrible situation for Australia. Hope he and his family are okay.#GoldenGlobes
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) January 6, 2020
https://twitter.com/oz_f/status/1213993123338018818
Others throughout the night joined in, with people like Pierce Brosnan and Ellen DeGeneres also sending their best to those dealing with the fires in Australia.