It’s been nearly 25 years since Gladiator’s epic run in theaters.
The 2000 classic, which starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen, followed Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius as he fought his way to avenge a murdered emperor. Released on May 5, 2000, the Ridley Scott-directed movie became the second-highest grossing film of the year and nabbed five Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Crowe and Best Picture.
On Nov. 22, the long-awaited second installment of Gladiator hit the silver screen, featuring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington and Joseph Quinn in leading roles. Nielsen and Derek Jacobi also reprise their characters from the original.
On the heels of the sequel, look back at the stars of the first Gladiator — and where they are now!
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Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius
Russell Crowe’s Gladiator role launched him to another level of stardom. The L.A. Confidential star, who played the vengeful general Maximus, won the Oscar for Best Actor in his second nomination for the category. He also delivered one of film’s most quoted lines, shouting to the crowd, “Are you not entertained?”
For Gladiator’s 20th anniversary, Crowe wrote a succinct tribute on Twitter, quoting Maximus’ recurring line: “Strength and Honour…”
The year after Gladiator, he landed another Oscar nomination for A Beautiful Mind. Crowe went on to have acclaimed performances in 2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, 2005’s Cinderella Man and 2014’s Noah. He also entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zeus in 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Crowe has four upcoming films, including Nuremberg, a World War II drama with Rami Malek, and Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ariana DeBose.
He married Australian singer Danielle Spencer in 2003, and the couple have two sons, Charles, born in 2003, and Tennyson, born in 2006. Spencer and Crowe separated after nine years of marriage in 2012 but did not officially divorce until April 2018.
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Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus
Joaquin Phoenix’s villainous performance as the tyrannical emperor Commodus earned him an Academy Award nomination.
He continued his stellar filmography throughout the coming decades with lauded performances in 2005’s Walk the Line, 2014’s Inherent Vice and 2023’s Napoleon, for which he reunited with Ridley Scott. He won his first Oscar in 2020 for portraying another nefarious character, DC Comics’ The Joker, in the eponymous psychological thriller.
The actor is set to star in Eddington, a Western black comedy, with Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone and Austin Butler.
Phoenix became engaged to actress Rooney Mara in 2019, and they welcomed their first child, son River — named after his late brother — in 2020. In 2024, Mara gave birth to their second child, and in September, Phoenix referred to Mara as his “wife” for the first time on the podcast Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso.
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Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
Connie Nielsen’s breakout role as Maximus’ former lover Lucilla set the foundation for her Hollywood career. After Gladiator, Nielsen appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, including One Hour Photo with Robin Williams, 2013’s Nymphomaniac, Law & Order: SVU and the latest Wonder Woman films.
Nielsen reprises her role as Lucilla in Gladiator II, in which Lucilla and the late Maximus’ son Lucius (played by Paul Mescal) is all grown up.
“It was a very emotional experience for me,” Nielsen told Entertainment Weekly of returning for the sequel. “I had so many wonderful memories from the time of doing it and it was kind of marvelous to look back and then all of a sudden be there again. It was frankly quite mind-boggling to have that experience.”
Next year, Nielsen stars opposite Bob Odenkirk in a sequel to the 2021 action-thriller Nobody.
She was married to Danish musician Lars Ulrich from 2004 to 2012, and the pair share son Bryce Thadeus, born in 2007.
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Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo
Legendary British actor Oliver Reed’s last role was as the gladiator-turned-slaveowner Antonius Proximo, who owned Maximus and other gladiators to exhibit them in the Colosseum.
During a break from filming Gladiator in Malta, Reed died of a heart attack on May 2, 1999, at age 61. At the time of his death, Reed had not finished filming all his scenes as Proximo, so the crew used body doubles, special effects and editing to wrap up his character arc. Gladiator contained a dedication to Reed in the end credits.
He is survived by his wife, Josephine Burge, and his two children, Mark and Sarah.
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Djimon Hounsou as Juba
Djimon Hounsou played Maximus’ right-hand man and closest ally, a Black Numidian man taken from his home as an enslaved gladiator.
After a moving performance in the 2000 film, Hounsou went on to receive acclaim and Academy Award nominations for 2002’s In America and 2006’s Blood Diamond. He also joined several superhero films across the DC and Marvel cinematic universes, playing characters in 2005’s Constantine, 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, 2018’s Aquaman, 2019’s Shazam! and 2022’s Black Adam.
On BroBible’s Post-Credit Podcast, Hounsou revealed that he was initially slated to return for Gladiator II, but plans fell through.
“This was a pure accident in the way it unfolded. I was going to be part of it. Circumstances dictated it to be something different,” the Gran Turismo actor explained.
Hounsou was in a relationship with model Kimora Lee Simmons from 2007 to 2012, and the couple have one son, Kenzo, born in 2009. They announced their separation in 2012.
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Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus
British screen and stage star Derek Jacobi portrayed Maximus and Lucilla’s ally, an influential senator named Gracchus.
“I was there for about three months and it was joyous,” Jacobi told The Collider of his experience on set. “It was a lovely part and a very exciting set up, working in the Colosseum every day with tigers and gladiators and sword fighting.”
Among the Tony and Emmy Award winner’s many projects over his 65 years in the industry are 2005’s Nanny McPhee, 2015’s live-action Cinderella and 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express. Jacobi returns to play Gracchus in Gladiator II.
In 2006, Jacobi and theater director Richard Clifford registered their civil partnership in the United Kingdom after three decades together.
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Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius
Two-time Academy Award nominee Richard Harris stepped into the role of Marcus Aurelius, based on the real-life emperor. Near the beginning of the film, the aging Marcus Aurelius is murdered by Commodus, who assumes the throne.
Two months after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease, Harris died on October 25, 2002, at age 72 in Bloomsbury, London. He is survived by his three children, who are all in the film industry: Damian, Jared and Jamie.
Today, the Grammy and Emmy winner is known across generations for his role as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films, with the second installment being his final on-screen movie role.
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Ralf Moeller as Hagen
Conan the Adventurer’s Ralf Moeller, known for assuming the mantle of Conan the Barbarian from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the ‘90s adventure series, took on the part of another muscle man in Gladiator as Germanic warrior Hagen.
“When we grow up as kids, there are certain kinds of films you watch over and over again, even if you’ve seen them. [Gladiator] is also that kind of film,” Moeller told Muscle & Fitness in 2020. “I watch it and suddenly I appear and I say to myself, ‘You were in that kind of movie.’ “
Over the years, Moeller appeared in various German and English-language films like the 2006 comedy Beerfest and 2014’s Sabotage with Schwarzenegger. He will reunite with the Terminator star in the upcoming film Kung Fury 2, which wrapped production in April 2024.
The actor split from ex-wife Annette Moeller in 2013 after 23 years of marriage, and they share two daughters.
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Tommy Flanagan as Cicero
Tommy Flanagan served as another ally to Maximus and Lucilla as Cicero, who facilitated communication between the separated lovers. He is eventually killed by Commodus’ army, the Praetorian Guards.
The actor went on to star in the long-running FX series Sons of Anarchy as Filip “Chibs” Telford. Most recently, he had a recurring role in the Netflix miniseries The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber. He also reunited with Gladiator costar Crowe for the crime thriller Sleeping Dogs.
He has been married to his wife, Dina Flanagan, since 2010, and the couple have one child together.
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Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus
A then-12-year-old Spencer Treat Clark played the son of Maximus and Lucilla, Lucius — but he won’t be returning for the sequel.
Speaking to PEOPLE for his 2024 film Salem’s Lot, Clark addressed Mescal taking over the character for Gladiator II, saying that “Paul’s going to do such a great job.”
“I’m really excited to see the movie and to see what Paul brings to it,” Clark said.
Since Gladiator, Clark has landed roles in Joss Whedon’s 2012 take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, the crime drama Animal Kingdom and the 2019 thriller Glass with James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Anya Taylor-Joy and Sarah Paulson.
The actor, now 37, is married and welcomed a child with his wife in 2023.
Source: People
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