Russell Crowe delivered a heartfelt and irreverent tribute at the state funeral of legendary Australian broadcaster John Laws, held at St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney on Wednesday. The Oscar-winning actor, a close friend and neighbour of Laws for 23 years, shared anecdotes that highlighted Laws' unique personality, including giving Crowe's son a bottle of bourbon at his first birthday party.
Crowe touched on Laws' political views and the 1999 cash-for-comment scandal, noting that despite their frequent disagreements, they valued each other's company. 'We were quite often on opposite sides of any issue,' Crowe said. 'However, we did agree that we liked each other's company and our different perspectives never stopped us from making each other laugh.'
Laws, known as 'the Golden Tonsils' for his mellifluous baritone, died on 9 November at age 90 after a seven-decade career. His golden microphone was placed on his coffin during the service. More than 800 mourners attended, including former prime minister John Howard, former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, NSW Premier Chris Minns, and Olympian Dawn Fraser.
In his eulogy, friend Paul Warren highlighted Laws' versatility: 'He could sell anything from Valvoline to Toyotas – beyond that, he was a poet, a passionate music promoter.' Warren noted Laws had over 2 million listeners at his peak and won 92 radio surveys in a row, interviewing 16 prime ministers.
Reverend Michael Jensen, who gave the sermon, recalled encouraging Laws to read the Bible after his wife's death in 2020. Despite his wealth, Jensen said Laws retained the common touch: 'It's a long way from Woolloomooloo to Walgett. But John spoke Walgett fluently.'
Crowe concluded by addressing the contradiction between Laws' on-air invective and his off-air kindness, noting Laws would end each show with 'be kind to each other'. 'The performance for today was at a close. The show was done. Be kind to each other,' Crowe said.
