If Russell Crowe won an Oscar for the role of Maximus in Gladiator, the New Zealand actor might never have starred in Ridley Scott's film.
TMC
Monday November 18 at 9:25 p.m.
4/3 | Prohibited for children under 12
It's been 24 years since Gladiator was released in theaters, and established itself as a Ridley Scott classic. Modernizing the peplum, the feature film conquered critics and the film industry in 2000: this production won five Oscars, including best film, best costumes, best visual effects, best sound and best actor for Russell Crowe. Incredible but true, the one we know as the interpreter of the Roman general Maximus could however not have appeared in the casting of Gladiator.
In the columns of the American magazine Variety, which is celebrating the film's twenty years, the New Zealand actor explains that he did not originally want to play this character: “I read the script, and I thought about the moment that it wasn't a film Then Parkes. [le producteur de Gladiator, ndlr] said to me: 'it's set in the year 184 AD, you play a Roman general and it will be directed by Ridley Scott'”.
These few indications concerning what will become Gladiatorbut above all the mention of Ridley Scott behind the camera, were enough to convince Russell Crowe to give the project a chance: “It was enough for me to agree to discuss with Ridley [Scott, le réalisateur ndlr]”. However, the actor had just finished filming Revelationsand had shaved his head for the role. “I didn’t look like a Roman general,” he laughs. It was therefore a close call for Russell Crowe not to appear in Gladiator !
Synopsis – Loyal general of the army of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Maximus (Russell Crowe) opposes the ambitions of his son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). To satisfy his thirst for power, the new emperor, after assassinating his father, gives the order to kill Maximus, who manages to escape. In revenge, Commodus had Maximus' family executed, and Maximus was sent as a slave to Africa. Bought and trained to become a gladiator, he quickly becomes the best among them and prepares his escape, helped by senators who see in him a good way to restore democracy in Rome by removing the emperor.
