Joaquin Phoenix Almost Dropped Out of Gladiator, Says Ridley Scott

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Joaquin Phoenix Almost Dropped Out of Gladiator, Says Ridley Scott

Joaquin Phoenix had hesitations about his now iconic role in the 2000 historical epic Gladiator, and almost dropped out, according to Ridley Scott.

Speaking to The New York Times in a recent interview, Scott was asked about Phoenix’s recent dropping out of Todd Haynes’ movie, and about a rumor that Phoenix had nearly dropped out of Gladiator as well.

Scott confirmed the rumor, noting that Phoenix had moments on set where he didn’t think he could make the movie, noting that co-star Russell Crowe also found the actions “terribly unprofessional.”

What did Scott say about Joaquin Phoenix nearly dropping out of Gladiator?

“[Joaquin] was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it,'” Scott said. “I said, ‘What?’ And Russell said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional.'”

In the end, Phoenix stayed on for the role, and was rewarded well for it. The performance is often seen as one of his best, and he earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for it as well. According to Scott, the way he got Phoenix to stay was simply just by being his friend.

“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,” Scott said.

Scott’s next movie, coincidentally, is the sequel to Gladiator. While that film doesn’t star Phoenix again, it does feature an all-star ensemble, including Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Denzel Washington, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Tim McInnerny, Alexander Karim, Rory McCann, Alec Utgoff, and Yuval Gonen, among others.

“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome,” the synopsis for the movie reads. “Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.”

Gladiator II releases in United States theaters on November 22, 2024.