Joaquin Phoenix’s role in 2000’s ‘Gladiator’ marked a turning point in his career, getting him his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. But, director Ridley Scott recently revealed that Phoenix almost didn’t appear in the film.
According to a recent interview with The New York Times, the ‘Joker’ actor wanted to quit ‘Gladiator’ just as they were starting production, causing a call-out from Russell Crowe.
“He was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it.’ I said, ‘What?’” the director recalled. “And Russell [Crowe] said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional.’”
About how he convinced the actor to stay, he added, “I can act as a big brother or dad. But I’m quite a friend of Joaquin’s. ‘Gladiator’ was a baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning.”
A similar situation happened recently when Phoenix walked off the set of Todd Haynes’ gay romance film set for July, halting production just as it was about to begin in Guadalajara, Mexico. The project co-starring Danny Ramirez is now on hold.
Meanwhile, ‘Gladiator II’ is set for release on November 22. It stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, who, now an adult, must fight in the Colosseum to restore honor to Rome.
The cast also includes Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Connie Nielsen, who reprises her role as Lucilla.
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