Critics Were Split About This Russell Crowe Show, But It’s One Of His Best Performances Of All Time

June 24, 2025

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This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Russell Crowe’s role in The Loudest Voice showed off his range, even if it was divisive among critics. Crowe has been a formidable force in Hollywood for decades, having roles in some of the most influential films of all time. These include movies such as A Beautiful Mind, The Insider, and Gladiator, the last of which won Russell Crowe the Academy Award for Best Actor.

After a string of smaller projects over the past few years, Russell Crowe is turning his attention to streaming with Netflix’s upcoming film Unabom. He will play Henry Murray, Ted Kaczynski’s controversial psychology professor at Harvard. Crowe is no stranger to complicated characters like Murray, and while this will be his streaming debut, the Academy Award-winning actor has done television before.

Russell Crowe Played Roger Ailes In The Loudest Voice

He Disappears Into The Role of Roger Ailes

Though he has mostly starred in movies, Russell Crowe played Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice, a Showtime drama series that chronicled Ailes’s creation and guiding of the rise of Fox News. Alongside depicting the political and professional rise of Roger Ailes, the series also focuses on the numerous sexual harassment lawsuits and settlements that led to the end of his career.

Through impressive prosthetics and makeup, Russell Crowe disappears into his role as Roger Ailes, showcasing the unsettling nature of the character. Crowe’s performance as Roger Ailes in The Loudest Voice is mesmerizing, commanding every scene that he is in, showing why he has been a Hollywood force for so long. It might actually be one of the most underrated performances of his career, lost among the sea of Russel Crowe’s best movies.

The Loudest Voice Also Features One Of Crowe’s Unabom Co-Stars

Russel Crowe And Annabelle Wallis Are Reuniting In Unabom

Alongside Russell Crowe in The Loudest Voice is Annabelle Wallis as Laurie Luhn, a former Fox News staffer who accused Roger Ailes of sexually abusing her. Her scenes with Crowe are some of the show’s most uncomfortable to watch, but Wallis does an excellent job with the material she is given, especially alongside one of Hollywood’s best.

Laura Luhn attempted to sue Showtime over her depiction in The Loudest Voice (via Variety), but eventually dropped the case.

In Unabom, Annabelle Wallis will play Christiana Morgan, Professor Murray’s academic partner and co-director of the Harvard Psychological Clinic. Working together in The Loudest Voice proved they can be a force onscreen together, which will certainly be important in Unabom, as the two characters will likely share a lot of screentime.

Critics Were Divided On The Loudest Voice, But It’s A Must-Watch For Crowe Fans

Russell Crowe Was Easily The Best Part Of The Loudest Voice

Russell Crowe looking at something in the distance in The Loudest Voice

Despite the immense amount of talent in The Loudest Voice, it ended up being divisive among critics, earning just 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, with one of the biggest criticisms being its shallow interpretations of the events portrayed in the series. While the series itself may have some narrative shortcomings overall, Russell Crowe is simply fantastic as Roger Ailes, and it should be considered among the best performances of his entire career.

Russell Crowe as Maximus above blurred images of his dream where he reunites with his family in Gladiator (2000).

Russell Crowe has been a pillar of Hollywood for decades now, so it’s no surprise that eight of his movies are readily available on Netflix right now.

Russell Crowe was nominated for numerous awards for The Loudest Voice, including the Critics’ Choice Television Awards and the Golden Globes, taking home the victory in the latter. It can be argued that his performance in The Loudest Voice has a place up there alongside his roles in A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator, and The Insider, being easily the best aspect of the entire series. Though The Loudest Voice may be divisive, it’s a must-watch for any fan of Russell Crowe, as he continues to show his immense talent decades into an already historic career.

Source: Variety, Rotten Tomatoes