Russell Crowe called Joaquin Phoenix 'terribly unprofessional' on 'Gladiator' set, reveals Ridley Scott

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Russell Crowe recently called out his 'Gladiator' co-star Joaquin Phoenix, labeling his behavior on set as "unprofessional."

The two starred in Ridley Scott's acclaimed 2000 epic, with Crowe as the heroic Maximus and Phoenix as the antagonistic Roman emperor Commodus.

Ridley Scott reveals Joaquin Phoenix almost quit 'Gladiator' over last-minute jitters

Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix's performances contributed to the film's massive success, winning an Oscar for Best Picture and a Best Actor nod for Crowe, while Phoenix received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Despite its acclaim, director Ridley Scott shared that 'Gladiator' almost didn’t make it to the silver screen as we know it, all due to Phoenix’s serious last-minute hesitation.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Scott recounted Phoenix’s sudden doubts, which surfaced after he put on his prince’s costume.

"He was in his prince’s outfit saying, 'I can’t do it.' I said, 'What?'," Scott recalled.

Fortunately, Scott managed to coax Phoenix back into the role, 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."

However, Crowe did not take Phoenix’s uncertainty lightly.

According to Scott, Crowe addressed Phoenix’s behavior bluntly, saying, "This is terribly unprofessional."

Although Crowe and Phoenix haven’t collaborated since 'Gladiator', Scott recently worked with Phoenix again on the 2023 historical epic 'Napoleon'. When asked if Phoenix had a similar reaction to that film, Scott remained tight-lipped.

Joaquin Phoenix quit LGBTQ film this year

Interestingly, Phoenix’s hesitancy isn’t isolated to 'Gladiator.'

Earlier this year, he left a 1930s gay romance film directed by Todd Haynes just five days before filming was set to begin, leading to the project being canceled, as per Variety.

When questioned about this decision at the Venice Film Festival, Phoenix was reserved, explaining, "It would just be sharing my opinion and the other creatives aren’t here to share their piece."

He added, "It doesn’t feel like that would be right. I don’t think that would be helpful, so I just don’t think I will. Thank you.”

Joaquin’s pattern of indecision has been noted by others in the industry as well.

Actor James McAvoy revealed that he was cast last-minute in M Night Shyamalan’s 'Split' as a replacement for Phoenix, further hinting at Phoenix's occasional reluctance to commit to roles.