Joaquin Phoenix Didn't Want To Do Ridley Scott's Gladiator? Director Spills The Beans
Joaquin Phoenix portrayed the villainous character of Commodus in the first Gladiator film, even receiving an Oscar nomination.
It’s been more than two decades since Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) hit theatres. While Russell Crowe garnered significant acclaim for his portrayal of Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix also left a lasting mark with his unforgettable role as Commodus, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, behind the scenes, there was a moment when Phoenix almost walked away from the film, prompting director Ridley Scott to step in. Recently, Scott shared insights into the making of the iconic movie, reflecting on Phoenix’s “unprofessional" behaviour during production.
The director shared how Joaquin Phoenix didn’t want to do the role. “Joaquin was in his prince’s outfit, saying, ‘I can’t do it’. I said, ‘What?’ And Russell said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional,'" he said. Further explaining how he managed to keep him on the film, Scott added, “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."
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It is worth mentioning that the film got both Crowe and Phoenix their Oscar nominations, with the former winning the Best Actor award while the Best Supporting Actor went to Benicio del Toro for Traffic. Though Phoenix did not reprise his villainous character for Gladiator II, he did reunite with Ridley Scott for the 2023 film Napolean.
Joaquin Phoenix’s Exit From Todd Haynes Film
The Gladiator story came on the heels of reports about Phoenuix’s exit from Todd Haynes’ gay romance film. As per Variety, the actor left the film just five days before its shooting, leading the makers to shelve the project indefinitely. During his appearance at the Venice Film Festival, Phoenix addressed the reports and said, “If I say anything, I’d just be sharing my opinion from my perspective, and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece, and so I don’t think that would be helpful."
Joaquin Phoenix was recently seen in Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie a Deux alongside Lady Gaga. The film, which saw him reprising his role as Arthur Fleck, aka the notorious Joker, received mixed reactions from the audience.
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