"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.

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

Gladiator director Ridley Scott recently opened up about Joaquin Phoenix's terribly unprofessional attitude on set more than two decades after the film's release. In a recent interview with

Director Ridley Scott recalled how actor Joaquin Phoenix had to be convinced to stay in the film 'Gladiator', reported.

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

Ridley Scott has revealed that Russell Crowe was left unimpressed by Gladiator co-star Joaquin Phoenix. The filmmaker, who has returned to direct a sequel 24 years after the original was released, shared the revelation ahead of question marks surrounding Phoenix’s professional conduct.