The threat is being taken seriously enough for Crowe to have been accompanied by undercover officers to the Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles in January.
”We are aware of the situation,” said a spokesman for Crowe, whose latest film, Proof of Life, has just opened in Britain. In it he plays the part of a negotiator hired to secure the release of a kidnapped engineer in South America.
”The FBI has been extremely helpful in guiding us through this and we are taking the necessary security precautions.”
FBI agents wore tuxedos to mingle with stars and industry insiders at the Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, an FBI spokeswoman, Laura Bosley, said. The FBI normally declines to comment on pending investigations, but decided to make an exception in this case after the media got wind of the inquiry.
The bureau learned of the kidnap threat just before the ceremony on January 21, and interviewed Crowe to see if he had any idea who might be behind such a plot. A decision was then made to accompany the New Zealand-born actor and advise him on security precautions during his time in the US. Crowe’s private security staff was also increased.
Scotland Yard’s special operations division was put on alert by the FBI shortly before Crowe flew to London.
”A kidnap threat involving Crowe was passed to Scotland Yard by the Americans,” a security service source said. ”There was some assessment and it was given a low grading. The matter was discussed with Crowe and left in the hands of his own security guards. We didn’t have any involvement after that.”
The actor lives in Australia but spends much of his time working in the US. He has often complained about the attention that goes with being a major star, and the stories that have appeared about him.
Crowe, who was beaten to the best actor award at the Golden Globes by Tom Hanks, recently separated from Meg Ryan after a highly publicised affair that started on the set of Proof of Life.
Well-known actors are frequently the victims of stalkers. Jodie Foster was stalked by John Hinckley Jr, who claimed that his attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan was an attempt to impress her. Many others have required police protection after being pursued by fans. However, the stalkers are usually disturbed people who want to gain the star’s attention, rather than people planning a kidnap. Frank Sinatra Jr, the singer’s son, was the victim of a kidnapping, but in general attempts on high-profile figures are rare.
Crowe is the favourite to win the Oscar for best actor at the Academy Awards on March 25. He has been nominated for his role in the Ridley Scott film Gladiator as a Roman general who becomes enslaved as a gladiator and fights to avenge the deaths of his wife and son. He earned a previous Oscar nomination for his role as a tobacco industry whistle-blower in The Insider.
Duncan Campbell and Michael Ellison
The Guardian