‘I’m the best actor in the world’: Russell Crowe didn’t like Gladiator’s most memorable scene

The screenplay of “Gladiator” was written by three successful screenwriters used to epic epics. David Franzoni wrote 2004’s King Arthur, John Logan wrote the biopic The Aviator, and British playwright William Nicholson co-wrote Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Gladiator It was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, an award it did not win, although the film itself did. While Ridley Scott had a strong team of screenwriters to write his film, it’s hard to imagine Russell Crowe having a problem with one of his lines, and yet…

Great success achieved Gladiator There is something in 2000 Russell Crowe It was not expected during filming. And interestingly, the latter had a real problem with one of the lines that he simply hated – and which he tried to change at all costs! Luckily, he didn’t make it, because it’s one of the film’s most legendary moments.

Russell Crowe didn’t get what he wanted

The scene in question was Maxime’s famous speech, which ended with the phrase: “And I will have my revenge, in one life or another“. The line comes at a critical moment in the film: when Maximus reveals his true identity and intentions to Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in the gladiatorial arena. The phrase perfectly captures the main purpose of the character and also relates to the themes of death and perseverance explored in the film.

In a 2010 interview with The Guardian, the actor revealed that he tried improvising several times “the best“- he answers. Unfortunately for Russell Crowe, Gladiator No revision was necessary: ​​all his improvisations were removed and he had to go back to the original script. But we don’t know what Russell Crowe Rather, he said this about the line: “It was stupid. But I’m the best actor in the world, and I can even make a fool sound good.“

Of course, he didn’t lack for confidence back then – after all, he would eventually win an Oscar for his acclaimed performance as Maximus Decimus Meridius.

Rediscover the legendary scene in the original version in the video below:

2000s emblem, Gladiator The action takes place in the last days of the reign of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). The emperor then incites his son, Commodus, by publicly announcing that he would abdicate the throne to Maximus, the commander of the Roman army. Power-hungry Commodus kills his father, seizes the crown, and orders the death of Maximus, who manages to escape before being captured and disguises himself as a Roman slave and gladiator with the sole purpose of surviving for revenge. .

Gladiator can be seen again on Netflix and Prime Video.

A similar article has already been published on our Brazilian site Adorocinema.com.