Movie News
Crowe tells of suspected kidnap plot
Wednesday 9 March 2005
The New Zealand born actor said that he had been made aware of the threat in the months before the 2001 Oscars ceremony, where he collected the award for Best Actor for his performance in 'Gladiator'.
Crowe said that he was accompanied by undercover police officers while attending the BAFTA Awards and the Golden Globes that year.
The actor said that he had never heard of the al-Qaeda network before he was informed of the plot to kidnap him. Al-Qaeda came to public attention after the 11 September attacks later in 2001.
He was told that a French policewoman had picked up a recording which indicated that the al-Qaeda network would try to kidnap successful actors.
Crowe told Australian GQ magazine: "It was about - and here's another little touch of irony - taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural destabilisation plan."
The actor also employed his own private security guards at the time, one of whom was a former Australian rugby player.
Click here for Terms of use
Top 10 Most Read
Must Watch TV
-
- The Late Late Show
You can be guaranteed that Ryan Tubridy will host a stellar line-up of high-profile guests, current social issues will get an airing and he'll introduce the very best in all-round entertainment, plus a fabulous prize for someone at home! What more could you ask for from your Friday night viewing?
-
- Who Knows Ireland Best?
Derek Mooney hosts as two teams compete to see who is most in touch and who has their finger on the pulse. Points are awarded for being in agreement with the majority of a survey of 1,000 people across the country. This week, three agricultural consultants (Tom Dawson, Tipperary; Julie Roche, Cork; and Mike Brady, Cork) go head-to-head with three auctioneers (Nora Meaney, Sharon O'Leary and Maura Fenlon, all from Carlow) to see who is more in tune with the nation.
-
- The Big C
As the rest of the neighbourhood gets ready for Hallowe'en, Cathy prepares to start a clinical trial she hopes will cure her cancer. Yet just when Cathy needs him, Paul has to deal with a series of problems at work. And as they are arriving at the hospital, Cathy's search for a parking spot ends with her harmlessly hitting another patient with her car. Meanwhile, as Adam grows increasingly agitated by his mom's illness, Sean's Hallowe'en plans lead him to suspect that Marlene's ghost is haunting his house.
-
- Hustle
Albert decides to pay a nostalgic visit to an old haunt, only to find it's been pulled down by ruthless property tycoon and former '80s game show host, Dale Ridley (played by Mark Williams) in this week's episode. Posing as international businessmen, the team lure Dale into a scam, convincing him to purchase the television studios that fired him in his showbiz heyday on their behalf. Will the temptation to get revenge on his old employers be enough to trick the greedy entrepreneur?
-
- Safari Vet School
Thirty-two vet students are at one of the toughest vet schools in the world in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Under the guiding hand of Chief Vet, Dr Will Fowlds, the students tackle everything from lions to rhinos to giraffes and elephants. In tonight's episode, TV vet Steve Leonard who presents the show is pushed to his limits when he's left in charge of 16 vet students and a hall of 100 barking dogs while Cambridge student Nadia gets a second chance at being a team leader.