Russell Crowe gained immense fame playing the role of Maximus in Gladiator. The Ridley Scott-directed movie is considered a classic, with its iconic sets, cinematography, and dialogues. The lead actor of the film received the Academy Award for Best Actor, but it seems that not everything about the character was liked by the actor.
The movie, just like any other classic, has few dialogues etched in the minds of its fans. One of the most quoted dialogue of the movie has to be the vow that Maximus made to Commodus. But the actor was not in favor of delivering those lines until Ridley Scott stepped in and made him do it, because he believed in it.
Russell Crowe was against delivering the most iconic lines in Gladiator
Who does not remember the iconic lines delivered by Russell Crowe‘s Maximus when he vows to Commodus? They went on to become the most quoted lines from the iconic movie, but what if the actor’s reluctance to say those words had led to them never being in the film or ever coming into existence? The said lines,
“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”
The thought of a movie without the iconic dialogue does dim its charm a little bit but fans should be glad that Riley Scott decided to interfere and made Crowe say the words. Despite the reluctance, Crowe delivered those lines in the most believable, iconic way that one could ever have.
An executive of Dreamworks shared,
“At first he absolutely refused to say it. He did a lot of posturing and put the fear of God into some people. Thankfully, Ridley never yelled. He was the voice of reason dealing with many unreasonable factors, not the least of which was his lead.”
The on-set feud between the actor and the director was settled and the actor agreed to follow the wish of the visionary Ridley Scott and we are ever so grateful that he did. The executive also shared that the actor remarked to Scott, after delivering the lines,
“It was s***, but I’m the greatest actor in the world and I can make even s*** sound good.”
Though it was also reported that the actor had a bad attitude on the set, he managed to play the role well. His performance is always remembered as iconic and the sequel’s lead has a huge legacy to live up to.
A Gladiator 2 is in development
A movie, based on a similar theme as the original classic has been in the news. Not much is known about the plot of the movie but some predict that it would be a continuation of the original plot. Paul Mescal has been cast in the lead role in the movie. It is said a key character would be Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla, who grew fond of Maximus and saw him as his idol.
The movie is set to release in 2024 and is being directed by the original director, Ridley Scott. All the fans can do is wait and see whether the sequel is able to live up to the original classic. Other reported cast members of the upcoming movie are Fred Hechinger, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and May Calamawy. Some of the original movie’s actors who might reprise their roles are Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, and Djimon Hounsou.
For now, Gladiator 2 is set to release on November 22, 2024.
Source: Time
