Gladiator director Ridley Scott opened up about a tense moment between two of the first movie’s original stars ahead of the release of its long-awaited sequel.
If you forgot, the Oscar-winning blockbuster was released in 2000 and starred the likes of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
However, in a new interview, Ridley recalled a moment when Joaquin experienced stage fright. According to him, Russell had a very specific response.
Keep reading to find out more…
Speaking to The New York Times, Ridley recalled that Joaquin almost dropped out of the project.
“He was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it,’ I said, ‘What?’ And Russell said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional,’” he recalled.
Of course, things ended up working out between Russell and Joaquin. In 2020, Russell recalled his emotional response to being called a “brother” by his costar.
He also revealed something that Joaquin was nervous about on set.
Gladiator II premieres in theaters on November 22. Check out the trailer.
