A Thorough History Of Leslie Jones & Russell Crowe's Beautiful Friendship

The most fascinating part of Time's annual list of the 100 Most Influential People — besides seeing who made the cut, of course — is reading what famous people have to say about each other. (Time recruits friends and peers from the honorees' respective fields to sing their praises in the winner entries.) Some Hollywood highlights on the 2017 list include Cate Blanchett on Sarah Paulson, Brie Larson on Emma Stone, Meryl Streep on Viola Davis, and Tina Fey on Donald Glover. You'll notice that all of these pairs have either worked together, forged similar career paths, or are BFFs.

And then there's... Russell Crowe on Leslie Jones. This especially random coupling — of the woman who took over the Rio Olympics and wins SNL on the reg with the guy known for his roles in movies like Gladiator and The Cinderella Man — is amusing in itself. But then there's what Crowe had to say about Jones:

"She's a tiger.
She's a lioness.
She's a pussycat."

I know. But then he continues on a surprisingly sweet note: "It wasn't just the comedy that drew me close to Leslie Jones. Although her brand — edgy, insightful and honest — is the kind I lean to. It wasn't just the bonhomie, the easy friendship and the shared sense of gratitude. It wasn't just the beauty, though it radiates from her unchecked. It was, in fact, the kindness, the thoughtfulness and the way she owns all of who she is." He continues to wax poetic about Jones' greatness before powerfully concluding, "Yes, it was Leslie Jones who drew me close to Leslie Jones."

How beautiful is that? So beautiful that it inspired me to take a sentimental look back at that "easy friendship" that the unlikely pals share. Here is the wonderfully touching history of the friendship between Leslie Jones and Russell Crowe.