Joaquin Phoenix had hesitations about his now iconic position within the 2000 historic epic Gladiator, and nearly dropped out, in keeping with Ridley Scott.
Chatting with The New York Instances in a latest interview, Scott was requested about Phoenix’s latest dropping out of Todd Haynes’ film, and a couple of rumor that Phoenix had practically dropped out of Gladiator as nicely.
Scott confirmed the rumor, noting that Phoenix had moments on set the place he didn’t suppose he might make the film, noting that co-star Russell Crowe additionally discovered the actions “terribly unprofessional.”
What did Scott say about Joaquin Phoenix practically dropping out of Gladiator?
“[Joaquin] was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it,’” Scott mentioned. “I mentioned, ‘What?’ And Russell mentioned, ‘That is terribly unprofessional.’”
Ultimately, Phoenix stayed on for the position, and was rewarded nicely for it. The efficiency is usually seen as one in every of his finest, and he earned a Greatest Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for it as nicely. In accordance with Scott, the way in which he obtained Phoenix to remain was merely simply by being his buddy.
“I can act as an enormous brother or dad. However I’m fairly a buddy of Joaquin’s. Gladiator was a baptism of fireside for each of us to start with,” Scott mentioned.
Scott’s subsequent film, coincidentally, is the sequel to Gladiator. Whereas that movie doesn’t star Phoenix once more, it does characteristic an all-star ensemble, together with 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, amongst others.
“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of energy, intrigue, and vengeance set in Historic Rome,” the synopsis for the film reads. “Years after witnessing the loss of life of the revered hero Maximus by the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Mescal) is compelled to enter the Colosseum after his house is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his coronary heart and the way forward for the Empire at stake, Lucius should look to his previous to seek out power and honor to return the glory of Rome to its individuals.”
Gladiator II releases in United States theaters on November 22, 2024.
(Supply: The New York Times)
