The name of General Maximus Desimus Meridius is unforgettable. Gladiatorthe famous film directed by Ridley Scott, became a global phenomenon in 2000. Carried by Russell Crowe, it marked the history of cinema and the spectators, who will be able to discover Gladiator 2 from November 13 in cinemas. On this occasion, the director revealed a funny and tense anecdote about the filming of the first part, where Russell Crowe, winner of the Oscar for best actor, was shocked by the behavior of Joaquin Phoenix on the film set.
In GladiatorRussell Crowe plays the hero Maximus, while Joaquin Phoenix, as Commodus, the cruel Roman emperor, brought to life one of the most memorable villains of the era. According to Ridley Scott himself, Joaquin Phoenix was not entirely convinced by his character and his performance. During a key scene, the young actor, already dressed as a Roman prince, was visibly nervous and approached Ridley Scott to say: “I can't do it“. Hearing this, Russell Crowe was upset and said: “This is terribly unprofessional“.
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The director, however, explained that he had always considered Joaquin Phoenix as a friend and a “big brother“. “For both of us, Gladiator was a baptism of fire at first“, recalled the director. At that time, the actor had not yet achieved the world fame that he enjoys today, and therefore the project was very ambitious for him. But that did not prevent him from frustrate Russell Crowe with his attitude. His representatives refused to talk about it again despite Entertainment Weekly's request.
“I was overwhelmed by it all, I didn't think I could do it“
In several interviews, Joaquin Phoenix has stated that the large sets and production of Gladiator deeply intimidated him. “I feel this nervousness on every film… but I think Gladiator was one of the most intimidating because the first set I was on was gigantic. It felt like acres, with hundreds of extras and multiple cameras. I was overwhelmed by it all, I didn't think I could do it“, the actor tells Collider.
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In another confession, he recounted what happened when he told Ridley Scott that he just couldn't perform. The director's reaction was unexpected, but effective: “Ridley was very insightful. He filmed me for hours… without any film in the camera. He told me there would be no point wasting film until I could relax. I didn't want to waste any filmknowing it would take me some time to be ready to play” Phoenix said with a mixture of laughter and respect for the director.
Despite this challenge, Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott continue to maintain a good artistic relationship. Recently, they collaborated again on Napoleonwhich had difficulty convincing spectators, in which the actor plays the famous emperor. This anecdote only reinforces the expectation around Gladiator 2the main roles of which are now played by Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal.
Article written in collaboration with our colleagues from Sensacine.
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