Ridley Scott Says Joaquin Phoenix Got Cold Feet on ‘Gladiator’ and Said ‘I Can’t Do It’; Then Russell Crowe Called It ‘Terribly Unprofessional’

variety.com:

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Gladiator” director Ridley Scott recently told The New York Times (via Entertainment Weekly) that Russell Crowe said Joaquin Phoenix was being “terribly unprofessional” on set when Phoenix was getting cold feet and had to be convinced to stay on the movie.

Crowe headlined “Gladiator” as Maximus, with Phoenix starring as the villainous Commodus. Both actors earned Oscar nominations, with Crowe winning the best actor prize. “[Joaquin] was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it,'” Scott recalled, “I said, ‘What?’ And Russell said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional.'” When asked how he convinced Phoenix to stay on the film, Scott asked: “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.” Pheonix and Scott would reunite later in their careers for the 2023 historical drama “Napoleon.” The topic of Phoenix’s cold feet was brought up when The New York Times brought up Phoenix’s recent exit from Todd Haynes’ gay romance movie five days before cameras were set to start rolling.

The actor’s decision forced Haynes and his team to shelve the project indefinitely. It appears Phoenix got cold feet on “Gladiator” as well, although Scott was able to get him to stay on.