Actor Russell Crowe, who starred in the original 2000 action film “Gladiator,” recently voiced some reservations about the upcoming sequel. The 60-year-old actor, whose character, Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, died in the original film, was not asked to join the cast of Gladiator II.
“I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact they’re making another one — because, of course, I’m dead and I have no say in what gets done,” Crowe said during an appearance on the “Kyle Meredith With…” podcast, per Deadline. “But a couple of the things I’ve heard I’m like — no, no, no, that’s not in the moral journey of that particular character. But I can’t say anything, it’s not my place.”
Reflecting on the impact of “Gladiator” on his career, Crowe added, “I reflect back: the age I was when I made that film and all the things that came after it, the doors that particular movie opened for me. This is just me being purely honest: there’s definitely a tinge of melancholy, a tinge of jealousy.”
Crowe’s comments underscore the mixed emotions he feels about the sequel. While he acknowledges the success and opportunities “Gladiator” brought him, he also feels a sense of loss and exclusion. “I remember when I had tendons,” Crowe joked, hinting at the physical toll of his past roles.
The Australian actor previously stated that he should be compensated for the indirect promotion of the upcoming film. “They should be f***ing paying me for the amount of questions I am asked about a film I am not even in,” he said in 2023.
“It has nothing to do with me. In that world, I am dead. Six feet under. But I do admit to a certain tinge of jealousy, because it reminds me of when I was younger and what it meant for me, in my life,” Crowe continued.
Despite his reservations, Crowe expressed a measure of confidence in the sequel’s director, Ridley Scott. “I don’t know anything about the cast, I don’t know anything about the plot. I am dead!” he reiterated. “But I know that if Ridley has decided to do a second part of the story, over 20 years later, he must have had very strong reasons. I can’t think of this movie being anything other than spectacular.”
“Gladiator II” is scheduled to debut in theaters on November 22, 2024. As fans eagerly await the sequel, Crowe’s candid reflections offer a glimpse into the complex emotions of an actor whose legacy is deeply intertwined with the original film. His honesty about his feelings of melancholy and jealousy adds a poignant layer to the anticipation surrounding the new movie.
