In a new interview with the New York Times timed to the upcoming release of the long-awaited sequel Gladiator II, director Ridley Scott shared a memory of Phoenix getting on costar Russell Crowe's nerves on the set of the original sword-and-sandals ...

"Gladiator" director Ridley Scott recently told The New York Times (via Entertainment Weekly) that Russell Crowe told Joaquin Phoenix he was being "terribly unprofessional" on set when Phoenix was getting cold feet and had to be convinced to stay on the movie.

Phoenix made headlines over the summer after backing out of a gay romance flick directed by Todd Haynes just five days before filming began.

Director Ridley Scott reveals Joaquin Phoenix’s cold feet on Gladiator; Russell Crowe calls it ‘unprofessional

Nearly 25 years later, 'Gladiator' director Ridley Scott revealed that Joaquin Phoenix almost backed out of his Oscar-nominated role.

Gladiator' was a "baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning," Ridley Scott said of how he and Joaquin Phoenix approached making the 2000 film According to director Ridley Scott, Joaquin Phoenix nearly dropped out of 2000's Gladiator.

Ridley Scott had to stop Joaquin Phoenix, from dropping out of 2000 epic "Gladiator," the director said in an interview published on Thursday.