Ridley Scott recalls Joaquin Phoenix nearly quitting original ‘Gladiator’

Joaquin Phoenix reportedly needed some convincing to stay on Gladiator.

In an interview with The New York Times, Ridley was asked to confirm the story that Phoenix, plays the role of Gladiator’s villain Commodus, nearly dropped out of 2000s Gladiator.

Ridley, famed for directing hit films like Alien (1979), The Martian (2015), and Napoleon (2023) recalled the incident during the interview, saying, “He was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it.’ I said, ‘What?’”

“And Russell [Crowe] said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional,’” the director told the outlet.

However, Ridley shared how he convinced the Joker: Folie à Deux actor to say, saying, “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,” Ridley added.

Phoenix’s role became one of his most iconic performances, praised as the twisted villain of the Oscar-winning film.

Gladiator II, which will hit theatres on November 22, starring Paul Mescal in the lead.