Russell Crowe warned fans before signing autographs outside a Paris hotel, saying he would walk if the waiting crowds became unmanageable.
“Are you listening?” the “Gladiator” star told the sign-seekers surrounding the stairs, waving his arms in an attempt to overcome a potential language barrier. “Stay there, don’t push me, and I’ll come to you.”
“Give everyone space,” he added. “If someone makes a fool of themselves, I’ll be right there. Okay?”
Once the crowd agreed, Crowe, wearing a navy blue polo shirt and slacks, quickly began signing Gladiator memorabilia. But when one fan pushed Luck and asked the star if he would add the name of “Maximums,” the character Crowe played in Ridley Scott’s epic, to the autograph, Crowe declined and moved on to another fan.
The video of the exchange appears to have been taken by a fellow fan in the crowd.
The actor, who was spotted competing at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris earlier this week, responded to TMZ’s posting of the video on X with the caption: “If you need a reminder that fans aren’t always your priority, look to Russell Crowe because he never did that outside of his hotel in Paris.”
Crowe replied to X’s post, “Clickbait. Everyone took autographs and selfies. The walkway to the hotel was kept free for guests, but I still got to the airport on time. Alone and no security. It’s been taken care of. What’s the problem?”
This is not the first time a video of Hollywood stars doing their own crowd control has gone viral in continental Europe. In 2024, Anne Hathaway encountered a group of enthusiastic fans in Italy and was memorably filmed addressing them in a mix of Italian and English.
“Karma, Karma, Karma, please, Karma,” Hathaway said slowly, raising her hands. “I can’t take pictures with you all, but if you’d like to take a picture, please stand here and wave. I can’t sign autographs, there are too many people (sorry), but I’d like to have something with you, so if you’d like, I’d be happy to wave a little.”
