Actor Joaquin Phoenix, known for his villainous role Commodus in "Gladiator," almost dropped out of the film, director Ridley Scott shared.

Director Ridley Scott returned to ancient Rome for the upcoming Gladiator II, arriving more than two decades after the original starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. When looking back on the first installment,

Joaquin Phoenix made his breakout performance in 2000’s Gladiator, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Nearly 25 years later, director Ridley Scott revealed that Phoenix nearly dropped out of the role of Commodus at the last minute,