Australian actor Russell Crowe called the US the ‘greatest country in the world’ during last night’s Joe Rogan podcast where he opened up about politics.
The Oscar winner, 61, revealed he started listening to Rogan because his son was ‘obsessed’ with the show and Crowe wanted to ‘know what he was hearing.’
The actor suggested he was skeptical at first but ‘after listening a few times… it’s cool’ as he complimented Rogan for allowing nuance in his political discussions.
He went on to state: ‘To me, the greatest country in the world is the United States of America — absolutely.
‘The greatest potentials are all here. How it was founded, on balance and fairness and opportunity, that’s how it remains great — not because you start taking opportunity away from people, because you’re affording them opportunity.’
In what seemed to be a reference to the political divisiveness in the US, he added: ‘Lets just keep that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, because nothing’s finished and nothing’s done, we’re just in the process, and it can always get better, for sure.’
Australian actor Russell Crowe called the US the ‘greatest country in the world’ as their conversation got political
The conversation then moved to immigration, something which Rogan has split from President Donald Trump on despite supporting despite backing his presidential campaign.
Referring to the US, Rogan said: ‘It’s the rare country that is almost entirely founded by people moving here over time.’
The podcast host said it was America’s greatest strength and weakness, before criticizing the Biden Administration.
‘The problem with the last four years was that they were just letting anyone in and they weren’t vetting people and they were inviting people in.
‘And the problem now [with the Trump Admin] is they are grabbing people who are productive citizens and they’re grabbing them and taking them out because they don’t have the right paperwork.
‘So neither one is a great solution — and both of them cause huge problems.’
Crowe gave a cryptic reply: ‘But you do have to be aware too though… a lot of the information that we know about that is coming to us from a motivation that we don’t necessarily read. They want us to think of things in negative terms.’
It is unclear exactly what he was referring to.
Crowe then fell silent as Rogan replied: ‘Sure. Both sides. On both sides of the issue. Yeah, 100 percent. We’re constantly being manipulated.’
Rogan publicly supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign but has split on the issue of immigration
While Crowe has typically avoided aligning himself with any political party, he’s long been outspoken on social issues — previously condemning Australia’s treatment of refugees as a ‘nation’s shame’ and calling for the country’s national day to be moved to a more inclusive date.
He’s also voiced support for climate action and described America as a ‘beacon of freedom’ in earlier interviews.
Rogan, meanwhile, publicly supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, praising his outsider status and stance against political correctness — but later broke with the administration over its harsh immigration policies and ICE enforcement, saying the approach was ‘horrific.’
Russell Crowe primarily lives in Australia, where he owns a sprawling, multi-million-dollar rural property called Nana Glen, near Coffs Harbour in New South Wales — about halfway between Sydney and Brisbane.
Crowe spends long stretches in the US for filming and business — particularly in Los Angeles and New York — and has previously said he feels a strong connection to America and its film industry.
