The Loudest Voice (TV Mini Series)

2001 (2019)

Russell Crowe: Roger Ailes

Photos 

Quotes 

• Roger Ailes : We may potentially... have anthrax in the building.

  [stopping people before they can panic] 

  Roger Ailes : Now, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Please wait. A package was delivered upstairs to the New York Post on the tenth floor, an envelope with an as-yet unidentified white powder. And, Kassima, go and tell the control room I need somebody outside. We're gonna go live as soon as possible.

  [to another employee] 

  Roger Ailes : You, you had an anthrax expert. What's his name, Simone? Whatever the fuck his name was, get him, all right? Book him. He was good. Reach out, Anders, to the National Enquirer. They got an envelope, too. I want to just get a human angle on it.

  Staffer : Mr. Ailes?

  Roger Ailes : Yeah?

  Staffer : If there's anthrax, shouldn't we clear the building?

  Roger Ailes : No, it's... look. I have been reliably informed that we're okay down here.

• Roger Ailes : [after a letter allegedly containing anthrax is delivered to the building]  We have a situation.

  Lachlan Murdoch : Yeah, I know. It's being handled.

  Roger Ailes : Handled? I just walked in here. Nobody here knew anything about it.

  Lachlan Murdoch : Roger, the letter was received at the Post, a dozen floors away, and it's been sealed. The authorities have been notified.

  Roger Ailes : Is that right? You leaving my people down here, unprotected and uninformed in an emergency?

  Lachlan Murdoch : We have protocols to follow. You need to calm down.

  Roger Ailes : Calm down? You're telling me to calm down?

  Lachlan Murdoch : We have the situation well in hand.

  Roger Ailes : We? We don't have anything. *I* run Fox News, not you.

  Lachlan Murdoch : I am the deputy chief operating officer of News Corp. News Corp owns Fox News.

  Roger Ailes : I don't care if you think you're Jesus Christ Almighty. I will do

  [pounding the tabletop] 

  Roger Ailes : anything necessary to protect my people.

  Lachlan Murdoch : We all care about the safety of our people, Roger. Yelling about it doesn't make you a better manager.

  Roger Ailes : This is my operation, my people, and my responsibility. One thing I don't need is some schoolboy coming down here telling me how to do my job.

• Beth Ailes : You're a hero, Roger. Protecting your people that way. That was chemical warfare. You did the right thing, but you need to get ahead of it now.

  Roger Ailes : How's that?

  Beth Ailes : Rupert will give you all the rope in the world, but he won't stand for someone disrespecting his boys.

  Roger Ailes : What, so you think I should apologize? For doing the right thing?

  Beth Ailes : No, not apologize, but you need to go to Rupert, remind him of your value.

  Roger Ailes : What about Lachlan?

  Beth Ailes : Oh, forget Lachlan. You have all the leverage. Fox is about to pass CNN. You're giving him the number-one cable news network on the planet. That's all he cares about.

  Roger Ailes : Yeah. Good. That's good.

  Beth Ailes : What about next time? What if it's biological or nuclear?

  Roger Ailes : We're 20 miles from the city.

  Beth Ailes : Please. 20 miles is nothing, Roger. You know that. The wind and the river. We're just... we're too close.

  [hearing their son fuss over the baby monitor] 

  Beth Ailes : Nothing can happen to him.

• Roger Ailes : [learning of people trapped in the north Twin Tower jumping from windows]  Does anybody else have this footage?

  John Moody : If they do, they haven't aired it.

  Chet Collier : We can't put that on the air. At least not yet. It's too soon.

  Roger Ailes : Run it. We need everyone in the goddamn world to see what these animals have done to us. Run it.

• Roger Ailes : [watching reports of the attack on the World Trade Center and seeing the second plane hit]  What the fuck? Jesus Christ.

  Judy Laterza : [coming in]  Roger?

  Roger Ailes : I know. I know, I know. Get Judy on the phone. J-Judy, get Beth. Get Beth on the phone. Just tell her, just don't move, just stay where she is. I want to get a camera on the roof. I want Shep... I want to get Shep up there on the roof. Just get everybody downstairs. Everybody downstairs, right now. Right away! Right away!

  Brian Lewis : Sports scores are still running.

  Roger Ailes : Kill the sports feed!

• John Moody : We need to talk about the Iraq WMD coverage.

  Roger Ailes : What about it?

  John Moody : Well, we are way out in front on this and it's totally unsubstantiated.

  Roger Ailes : So?

  John Moody : So, we need to pull back.

  Roger Ailes : Pull back? What are you, a fucking cheerleader on a first date?

  John Moody : Come on, Roger...

  Roger Ailes : We got half the goddamn country tuning in to see if Saddam blows up the world tomorrow. It's a great fucking story. "Pull back." Fuck you.

  John Moody : Roger...

  Roger Ailes : Fuck you. What, are you getting cold feet 'cause the competition is starting to realize "fair and balanced"?

  John Moody : Yes, they're shifting to attract our audience, but that doesn't mean...

  Roger Ailes : CNN would shit three babies to run that first.

  John Moody : Roger, the details aren't even sketchy. They are nonexistent. All right? There isn't any "there" there.

  Roger Ailes : I see what I'm dealing with. John Moody, fucking philosophy major. John, we're giving the people what they want. Okay? This country needs to heal. We need to see who we're fighting. No more of this "faceless enemy" bullshit. Current face of evil...

  [tapping at Saddam Hussein on a TV monitor] 

  Roger Ailes : Is that motherfucker. And his name is Saddam Hussein. And when we rub his fucking face in the dirt, America wins. And when America wins, Fox News wins.

• Roger Ailes : We need to drive the news. Not just cover it. I need you to focus on al-Qaeda, and I need you to focus on Iraq.

  John Moody : Oh, but there's... there's no connection there. Not... not between Saddam and al-Qaeda.

  Roger Ailes : You know, there's new information coming out of the White House every hour.

  Brian Lewis : Roger, we... we cannot be seen to be running Bush's propaganda machine. That's just not our job.

  Roger Ailes : If anybody's got a problem with anything I just said, you need to go for a stroll through Lower Manhattan. It's still burning. These discussions, they stay in this room. Leakers will be punished. Don't make me doubt you. Not now.

  [Judy opens the door, and the staffers all file out] 

  Roger Ailes : You hear anything... a negative thought, a negative whisper, a negative cough, you let me know.

  Judy Laterza : Of course.

• John Moody : There's another plane.

  Roger Ailes : Where?

  John Moody : United 93 is down in a field in Pennsylvania.

  Roger Ailes : [indicating a TV]  And we're watching that?

  John Moody : Well, thing... things are moving pretty fast.

  Roger Ailes : Look, just put up a shot of the tower. That's what everyone needs to see. Just run it on a loop all day.

  John Moody : We can't just show the same thing over and over.

  Roger Ailes : It's not a regular news day. This is Pearl fucking Harbor.

  Chet Collier : [on TV, the North Tower collapses]  Fuck.

  Roger Ailes : Do we even have anything else?

  Bill Shine : They, um, uh, shut down Pennsylvania Avenue, evacu...

  Roger Ailes : No, not words. Images, visuals. What do we got?

  John Moody : Uh, jumpers.

  Roger Ailes : What?

  John Moody : From the North Tower. Jumpers.

  Roger Ailes : Let's see that.

• Roger Ailes : I need you to back up Chet today. All right? You know I love the guy, but I think he's lost a step, so just make sure we don't drop anything.

  Bill Shine : I'm on it.

  Roger Ailes : Thank you.

• Roger Ailes : Good morning, Karl.

  Karl Rove : Hello, Roger. You watching the speech?

  Roger Ailes : I am, actually. Optics look great.

  Karl Rove : I spoke with the president. We'd like your help moving forward.

  Roger Ailes : Whatever you need, Karl.

  Karl Rove : Now, this event is a national tragedy. But it is an opportunity to achieve a strategic objective.

  Roger Ailes : Iraq?

  Karl Rove : Yes.

  Roger Ailes : You want to go back?

  Karl Rove : The president feels there's unfinished business.

  Roger Ailes : I agree.

  Karl Rove : Now, we'd have to message this correctly.

  Roger Ailes : It's a new kind of war.

  Karl Rove : It will be an international mission.

  Roger Ailes : A worldwide hunt to destroy terrorism.

  Karl Rove : Exactly.

  Roger Ailes : You know, Rove, my take on this... if the president steps up, if the president takes the harshest possible measures... the country will back him. Fox News will back him.

  Karl Rove : Can you put some thoughts down on paper for the president? I think your messaging would help move things forward.

  Roger Ailes : Absolutely, Karl. Be my pleasure.

  Karl Rove : Thank you, Roger. Have a good day.

• Roger Ailes : When they brought those towers down... I believe they thought they could inject so much fear into our hearts that they would shut us down. And that our great country would become impotent. That's not gonna happen. This is a war between good and evil, and we... we are not gonna be afraid to call it exactly that. And we should never be afraid of patriotism. Now, I want all of you to start wearing one of these.

  [pouring a bag of American flag pins onto the tabletop] 

  Roger Ailes : You step into the building, you're wearing a flag. You go on air, you're wearing the flag. You're screwing a hooker in a cheap motel? Wear the flag, Bill.

  Bill Shine : [laughter]  Okay.

  Roger Ailes : Now, I got this today. CNN have had a spike in the ratings, and that is just not good for us. Now, they have three times as many employees, they have five times as many foreign bureaus, but we have something that CNN don't have. Resolve. We're gonna be fair, we're gonna be accurate, and we're gonna put American values first. CNN are gonna want to please and appease the rest of the world. And we don't give a fuck. Let them do that. Let them do that, because we stand with America!

  Bill Shine : [applause]  Yeah!

  Roger Ailes : We're gonna tell people what they need to hear, we're gonna bring them the truth, and we're gonna fucking win!

• Dianne Brandi : We need to talk about O'Reilly.

  Roger Ailes : Ugh, all right. How much is that gonna cost us to settle?

  Dianne Brandi : 150K.

  Roger Ailes : 150K for a junior producer, really? What, did he get handsy or something?

  Dianne Brandi : No, just talk.

  Roger Ailes : She gets that 'cause she can't handle a little newsroom banter? That's... look, I know O'Reilly is a pain in the ass, but look at his numbers. Just take care of it.

• Rupert Murdoch : It's madness. All of it. Madness. Are we ready?

  Roger Ailes : We are in control. Everything's up and running. If we lose power, the D.C. bureau is ready to take over.

  Rupert Murdoch : [watching the South Tower collapse]  Dear God.

• Roger Ailes : This is Islamic terrorism. Al-Qaeda.

  John Moody : None of us know for sure yet. We're... we're trying to get confirmation...

  Roger Ailes : Somebody just flew two jumbo jets into the World Trade Center. Another one into the Pentagon. The biggest suicide bombs ever. Who do you think it was, the fucking Quakers?

  John Moody : Roger... let the other networks say al-Qaeda first, like we did with Lewinsky and Clinton.

  Roger Ailes : This is not about blowjobs getting us ratings, John.

  Brian Lewis : We're under attack.

  Roger Ailes : He's right. We don't know what else can happen today. There could be more planes, could be subway attacks, dirty bombs. We have to be prepared for anything. It's not over. We need a new graphics package. Splashy. I want it to say, "America at War." Chet, talk to me about on-screen updates.

  Chet Collier : Uh...

  Bill Shine : There's a lot of noise, uh, panic. Flights grounded, Air Force scrambled.

  Roger Ailes : Get it all up there.

  Bill Shine : There's only so much room on... on screen, Roger.

  Roger Ailes : Well, let's do it like we do sports scores, uh, but keep it moving, like it's a Wall Street ticker tape.

  Bill Shine : Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

  Roger Ailes : Yeah, update after update. Everybody needs to know what's happening. Who we got coming in, John?

  John Moody : Uh, some phones are down. We're having trouble getting in touch with anybody in D.C. or south of Houston.

  Roger Ailes : You know what? Just get every NatSec expert we've got. You just put 'em on hold for the whole goddamn day. You make it an exclusive hold if you have to. This is gonna be a day that defines us, as a country and as a people, and we just all need to be at our very best.

• Roger Ailes : The way I see it is that we are actually in the middle of a war. A war whose parameters we're only just beginning to fully understand. I think, uh, previous administrations left the job undone, which gives this administration a chance to reverse that. This is a war that needs to be fought on all fronts. Whoever harbors terrorists, they share the guilt for any acts they commit.

• Brian Lewis : [after learning Geraldo Rivera lied about being at the site of a friendly-fire incident]  This is a fucking disaster.

  Roger Ailes : It's not that bad.

  John Moody : It is that bad. Tora Bora's 300 miles away from where that happened. Baltimore Sun's got it. Everyone's gonna run with it.

  Brian Lewis : We have to issue an apology. We have...

  Roger Ailes : No, no, no. What, no apology.

  Brian Lewis : Roger, he lied.

  John Moody : Worse than that, he got caught. It's journalistic malpractice.

  Roger Ailes : We don't apologize. If you need to get out in front of it, Brian, get on the offensive. Just say it's the fog of war. An honest mistake.

  Brian Lewis : [scoffing]  "Honest."

  Roger Ailes : Hey, Geraldo came here from CNBC because he wanted to cover the war. Because he is a patriot. Because he's loyal. Anybody in this room ever been shot at? Hmm? Anybody in this room ever covered a war on the ground?

  Brian Lewis : Fine.

  Bill Shine : Honest mistake, then?

  Roger Ailes : Yeah. He's our guy. Go with that.

• Roger Ailes : So, Lachlan.

  Rupert Murdoch : You were out of line, Roger.

  Roger Ailes : It was exceptional circumstances.

  Rupert Murdoch : This is a family company. My father passed it along to me, and I intend to do the same for my children.

  Roger Ailes : Lachlan's young. He has ideas. He wants to do things his own way. When he tries to prevent me from doing my job, uh, what am I supposed to do with that, Rupert?

  Rupert Murdoch : You're supposed to get along with him.

  Roger Ailes : I've tried. Oh, come on. Your boy just doesn't like me. I think he hates me.

  Rupert Murdoch : Uh, I hardly think he hates you, Roger. But I'm... I'm not gonna get between you two. Okay?

  Roger Ailes : Well, you shouldn't. I mean, he's your son. I respect that. Rupert, I think given the circumstances, uh... maybe he should run things. I can take a step back. He'll be able to get Fox News over the line. I'm... I'm sure he will do a fine job.

  Rupert Murdoch : Uh... I'm not suggesting he take a lead role. Just do your job. I'll talk to Lachlan. I'm sure the whole thing is just a misunderstanding.

  Roger Ailes : Oh, well, I'm not... I'm not sure about that at all. No.

  Rupert Murdoch : No one underestimates what you mean to this company, Roger. Not me, not Lachlan.

  Roger Ailes : It would be nice to hear him say that. Just once in a while. Not, you know... I don't need continuous praise, but...

  Rupert Murdoch : Lachlan understands that the company comes first. I'm sure he's gonna talk to you. Just stay focused on Fox.

• Laurie Luhn : [three days after 9/11]  So, for Fox News Sunday, I was looking at booking James Clapper.

  Roger Ailes : He's a Democrat who only dresses like a Republican. I'm not interested.

  Laurie Luhn : Ex-head of the DIA.

  Roger Ailes : Next.

  Laurie Luhn : I think booking him would be help... fine. Um... we can get Richard Clarke, NSC's counterterrorism lead.

  Roger Ailes : Oh, you mean the guy who didn't know that Osama bin Laden was gonna hijack four planes and fucking crash 'em into shit? No, thanks.

• Brian Lewis : We have a situation.

  Roger Ailes : [taking the book Brian shows him]  Woodward? I thought he was dead.

• Dick Cheney : Roger?

  Roger Ailes : Hello, Dick.

  Dick Cheney : This is about the book?

  Roger Ailes : You're damn right it's about the book. I mean, come on. Jesus Christ on a roller skate. If he's gonna talk to Woodward, what other ears is he bending?

  Dick Cheney : Karl denied that it was him.

  Roger Ailes : Oh, come on, you think I give a fuck about what he denies? Please.

  Dick Cheney : I understand you're upset.

  Roger Ailes : You should be, too. You're about to go to war, Dick. All right? And the rest of the country outside New York City, they don't know how they feel about that just yet. Fox News, we can tip that either way.

  Dick Cheney : The president and I value your support. We know we can't do this without you.

  Roger Ailes : Well, that's very nice to hear, Dick. But why don't you just start acting like that?

  Dick Cheney : I'll talk to Rove. You won't have any more problems.

  Roger Ailes : I don't think that's gonna be enough.

  Dick Cheney : I'm listening.

  Roger Ailes : We want full access. No more bullshit from your press shop. If I ask for someone, I want *that* someone. Whoever it is.

  Dick Cheney : Fine.

  Roger Ailes : I want Rumsfeld one-on-one with Brit Hume.

  Dick Cheney : Done.

  Roger Ailes : Thank you. One more thing. Look, you know...

  [clearing his throat] 

  Roger Ailes : No more Rove. If you want to talk to me, just call me. Just call me directly.

• Roger Ailes : What are you trying to get me to believe, Karl? That you didn't suck up to this sycophantic scumbag and leak my memo?

  Karl Rove : Roger. I do not know how Woodward got that information.

  Roger Ailes : Oh, you don't? I do. He got it from you! I wrote that memo to you. Only you and 43. Now it's in fucking black and white in Woodward's book.

  Karl Rove : Hey, I understand you're upset, Roger, but there's nothing I can do about it.

  Roger Ailes : You can climb out of your shit-stained pajamas and put out a goddamn press release saying Woodward is lying! That's what you can fucking do, Karl!

  Karl Rove : I can't get involved, Roger.

  Roger Ailes : I'm a newsman. This is making me look like I'm playing both sides against the middle.

  Karl Rove : You *are* playing both sides.

  Roger Ailes : You fuck me on this, Karl, I will fuck you right back, and I promise you, you will not enjoy it.

• Rupert Murdoch : [after Roger checks up on his baby son]  Always so perfect when they're asleep, eh?

  Roger Ailes : Always.

  Rupert Murdoch : Yeah, but wait 'til they get older, mate. Women, drink, power. They see everything we've got, and then they want it all.

  Roger Ailes : They're gonna need our help, you know. To get through this.

  Rupert Murdoch : If we get through this.

  Roger Ailes : Oh, we will. I tell you, those dirtbags, they've got no idea what they started. They're gonna get obliterated, crushed. We're gonna turn their fucking cave houses into sand. And Fox News... we got a big job ahead of us.

  Rupert Murdoch : Yeah, but this is no time for politics.

  Roger Ailes : It's way past politics. It's war. And I'm gonna make goddamn sure that my son... he doesn't have to inherit some fucked-up towel-head terrorist world. We got a big part to play. This is our time, Rupert. This is our time.