A student who could not affort to take up a place on a prestigious drama course has received a donation of almost £3,000 from Russell Crowe.
Harry Pritchard received an offer to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), but feared he would struggle to cover living expenses along with the course fee of £13,799.
After being told he must pay a deposit of £2,760 by Thursday, the 23-year-old from Harrogate created a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise the necessary cash.
But having spotted the appeal, Gladiator star and avid Leeds United fan Crowe shared the fundraiser with his 2.7 million followers on Twitter, tagging friend Terry George.
His post said: “There’s a lot of plans and dreams being shattered these days… will Harry succeed?Advertisement
“He comes from Harrogate home of @YorkshireTea and I’m hoping he’s @LUFC.”
Yorkshire businessman and Channel 4 Secret Millionaire star Terry George added: “When one of the world’s greatest actors takes an interest in a rising star then it’s only right to follow his trail. I’m giving you my support Harry.”
The actor donated £2,741 to cover the deposit, while Terry George contributed £1,000.
Initially, the 23-year-old thought his mother was joking when she told him someone using Crowe’s name had made a donation.
He said he thought it was a “wind up, someone donating a few quid in his name for a laugh”, but said that when he realised it actually was the Hollywood star “it felt like my brain was exploding.”
“I’m still trying to process it,” he said. It hasn’t sunk in – I’ve been watching his films for years and now he’s changed my life just like that. I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done. I just hope he knows how grateful I am.”
At the time of writing, Mr Pritchard had raised more than £9,000 of his £13,799 goal
Last week, Taylor Swift donated £23,000 to a London student who could not afford to pay to go to university after being offered a place to study maths at the University of Warwick.
SkyNews