Ridley Scott talks about Joaquin Phoenix trying to quit Gladiator in the middle of the filming process. Phoenix played the titular character, Commodus, in Scott's historical epic, released in 2000. The actor's performance in the role was praised and he even received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Gladiator it received five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Leading Actor for Russell Crowe. Neither Crowe nor Phoenix are scheduled to appear in the upcoming sequel Gladiator II.
Talking to The New York TimesScott reflects on Phoenix almost giving up Gladiator. According to the director, Phoenix was on set, fully decked out in his period costume, when he declared: "I can't do this." Scott was shocked, and Phoenix's co-star Crowe intervened to say that the film was "terribly unprofessional." When asked how he kept the actor on the project, Scott simply mentioned that he is "very good friend of Joaquim'S." Check out Scott's full quote below:
Scott: He was dressed as a prince saying, “I can’t do this.” I said, “What?” And Russell said, “That’s terribly unprofessional.”
Interviewer: How do you convince someone to stay?
Scott: I can act as an older brother or father. But I'm very good friends with Joaquin. “Gladiator” was a baptism of fire for both of us at first.
What this means for Joaquin Phoenix
This story sheds interesting light on recent events involving Phoenix
If Phoenix had given up Gladiator in the middle of filming, it would have been catastrophic for the production. The scale of the historical epic was enormous, boasting a budget estimated at over $100 million. Although Scott isn't sure how far he was Gladiator Before Phoenix got cold feet, any amount of reshoots would have been costly. Scott is lucky to have a strong relationship with Phoenix, as that's probably what saved the film.
Not all major productions involving Phoenix have been so lucky when it comes to the actor's fickle attitude toward the jobs he takes on. Just this year, Phoenix exited a Todd Haynes project just five days before the project was scheduled to film. With all the preparations already made for filming, this hindered Haynes' production on this film, and Phoenix's actions subsequently sparked outrage in Hollywood. Scott Gladiator History shows that the actor has a history of creating uncertainty on set.
Our Take on Joaquin Phoenix's Unfortunate Pattern
He's Still a Beloved Actor
Gladiator was filmed over 20 years ago, which means Phoenix's misconduct on set has been an issue for some time. This makes it kind of shocking that he has remained as active in the industry as he has been. At the same time, the increasingly negative reputation Phoenix is acquiring in Hollywood could jeopardize his future career opportunities, or even the upcoming awards season. He won an Oscar for Clownbut come in Joker: Folie a DeuxDespite the mixed reviews and his poor reputation, the actor is unlikely to see an Oscar any time soon.
Source: NYT