The creepy first trailer for Fox News mini series The Loudest Voice shows Russell Crowe as CEO Roger Ailes groping anchor Gretchen Carlson, who is played by Naomi Watts.
Showtime dropped the official teaser on Tuesday which sees the 55-year-old actor transform into former FOX News CEO Roger Ailes.
And the first clip shows Crowe as Ailes with his hands around Watts’ waist in her role as former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson.
The limited series which will premiere on June 30, sees the Australian actor step up to play the disgraced CEO after being personally appointed by Rupert Murdoch back in 1996.
According to Showtime, The Loudest Voice will primarily focus on the last decade of Roger’s career at the network.
It will cover his political Republican views and even draw in on the many cases of sexual harassment he faced towards the end of his career.
Look into everything: The series will cover Roger’s political Republican views and even draw in on the many cases of sexual harassment he faced towards the end of his career (pictured with Naomi Watts – who plays Gretchen Carlson – a former Fox anchor)
Wrongdoings: At one point during the trailer, Russell’s character is seen sliding his hands down Gretchen Carlson’s hips
The Loudest Voice will primarily focus on the last decade of Roger’s career at the network
Gretchen, left, was the first individual to come forward in 2016 to accuse the media mogul of sexual harassment. At the time, Roger was married to Elizabeth Tilson, pictured together right, who’ll be played by Sienna Miller
Gretchen was the first individual to come forward in 2016 to accuse the media mogul of sexual harassment.
At the time, Roger was married to Elizabeth Tilson, who’ll be played by Sienna Miller.
‘We’re way past politics. It’s war’ Crowe’s Ailes declares in one scene.
The official description for the series reads: ‘In today’s politically charged media landscape, no figure looms larger, even after his passing, than Roger Ailes, who molded Fox News into a force that irrevocably changed the conversation about the highest levels of government.’
‘To understand the events that led to the rise of the modern Republican party, one must understand Ailes.
‘The upcoming limited series takes on that challenge, focusing primarily on the past decade in which Ailes arguably became the Republican Party’s de facto leader, while also touching on defining events in Ailes’ life, including his experiences with world leaders that gave birth to Ailes’ political career and the sexual harassment accusations and settlements that brought his Fox News reign to an end.’
They continued: ‘The series aims to shed light on the psychology that drives the political process from the top down.’
The series will debut on Showtime on June 30 and will also star Seth McFarlane as former Fox News PR Chief, Brian Lewis; Simon McBurney as Rupert Murdoch; Annabelle Wallis as former Fox News booker, Laurie Luhn; and Aleksa Palladino as Roger’s longtime assistant, Judy Laterza.
Eerily similar: Russell (left) had a striking resemblance to the real Roger Ailes (right, 2015) thanks to the use of makeup and prosthetics
Ailes, who died at his Palm Beach, Florida, home in May 2017, resigned from his dual role as Chairman and CEO of Fox News in July 2016 after a series of women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment.
Carlson, 52, was the first – filing a lawsuit on July 6, 2016 claiming sexual harassment and accusing him of firing her after she rejected his advances.
Three days later, the author of a 2014 biography of Ailes that included the claim that the Fox CEO had offered a producer a raise in exchange for sex in the 1980s, reported accounts of sexual harassment from six other women.
Gabriel Sherman’s book, The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News – and Divided a Country, is now the basis for the miniseries.
Although Ailes initially held on, the predatory boss was finally ousted after Megyn Kelly and Janice Dean, among others, came forward with harassment allegations of their own on July 19.
In her November 2016 book, Settle For More, Kelly detailed Ailes’ transgressions – including how he would make sexual remarks during meetings and how he once attempted to kiss her during a one-on-one meeting.
They’ve documented it all: The limited series which will premiere on June 30, sees the Australian actor step up to play the disgraced CEO after being personally appointed by Rupert Murdoch back in 1996
THR: ‘Russel Crowe is Roger Ailes, Sienna Miller (left) is the woman who stood by him and Naomi Watts (right) the one who destroyed him
Rusty, is that you? Russell Crowe was nearly completely unrecognizable as former Fox CEO Roger Ailes in the first trailer released for The Loudest Voice on Tuesday
Other women to come forward with harassment allegations included political analyst Andrea Tantaros and Shelly Ross who was allegedly offered a ‘sexual alliance’ by Ailes.
The miniseries will detail not only the sexual harassment and assault allegations that led to Ailes being ousted from the company, but also detail just how much power he commanded at the height of his reign.
The episode has now also been turned into a film called Fair and Balanced, starring Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman.
Guest stars include Josh Charles as Casey Close as Casey Close – Gretchen’s husband, and Josh Stamberg as former Fox executive, Bill Shine.
Fair And Balanced will focus on the various female Fox News personnel and their allegations against Roger Ailes.
Stars will include John Lithgow as Roger, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil and Allison Janney as Susan Estrich.
It is scheduled to be released on December 20.
The first episode premieres on 1st July on Stan in Australia.
Baring all: They continued: ‘The series aims to shed light on the psychology that drives the political process from the top down’ (Roger and Rupert seen in 1996 after Ailes was named the head of Fox News)