Russell Crowe says he’s related to the last man executed by beheading in England
Russell Crowe performs in Teatro Politeama during Magna Grecia Film Festival on June 20
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — Russell Crowe has appeared in a few high profile historical projects, but he’s now saying he’s personally connected to some actual history of his own.
The actor shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday that he’s related to Simon Fraser, who was the 11th Lord Lovat, a Scottish Jacobite.
“Look him up. He’s quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him,” Crowe wrote. “Seems his Machiavellian ways caught up to him at the age of 80, & he has a claim to infamy as the last man to have the head chopped off his living body in the Tower of London.”
According to the Oscar-winner, he’s related to Fraser via his paternal grandmother and the man’s death – by beheading in the Tower of London in 1747 – “even coined a phrase.”
“Apparently, they set up temporary stands for the gentry to watch him die,” Crowe wrote in a subsequent. “One of these stands collapsed which resulted in the death of 9 onlookers. Being told this just before he was put to death made him laugh. He was still laughing when the blade struck his neck, thereby ‘laughing his head off.’ Fascinating.”
Sounds like a great character for Crowe to play at some point.
The-CNN-Wire
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