“Gladiator” cast: See Russell Crowe and the rest of the original stars, then and now

What these actors did in the film might just echo in eternity...

As the world recovered from the Y2K panic in the spring of 2000, director Ridley Scott set a new standard for 21st-century cinema by transporting audiences thousands of years back to Ancient Rome in his blockbuster epic, Gladiator.

While this historical period had hardly been ignored by Hollywood prior to its release (1951's Quo Vadis, 1953's Julius Caesar, 1960's Spartacus), moviegoers flocked to witness the betrayal that Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) — a powerful general and tactician in Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ (Richard Harris) gargantuan army — suffers at the hands of the new emperor, the former’s power-hungry son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).

Revitalizing the sword and sandal genre as well as raising the bar for historical action and drama films, Gladiator went on to gross more than $460 million worldwide and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards (picking up five, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe).

A sequel directed by Scott is scheduled for release in November 2024, with original cast members Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi joined by a star-studded ensemble including Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Peter Mensah, and May Calamawy.

While we wait for new heart-pounding chariot races, bloodlust, and flowing togas, let’s take a peek at what the original Gladiator cast has been up to since its 2000 release. (We promise we’ll be merciful.)

Russell Crowe (Maximus Decimus Meridius)

Before donning the breastplate of Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, Russell Crowe had already made waves with his breakout role as neo-Nazi gang leader Hando in Romper Stomper (1992), for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award. The New Zealand-born actor further rose to prominence with a leading part alongside Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, and Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential (1997) and earning his first Oscar nomination for his performance in The Insider (1999). However, it was Gladiator that clinched him the Best Actor award the next year.

"I was confident about my abilities as a leading man. What I wasn't confident about with Gladiator was the world that was surrounding me. At the core of what we were doing was a great concept, but the script, it was rubbish," Crowe said when breaking down his career for Vanity Fair in April 2023. "[Ridley Scott] said to me at some point in time, 'We're not committing anything to camera that you don't believe in, 100 percent.' So, when we actually started that film, we had 21 pages of the script that we agreed on."

Since Gladiator, Crowe has worked steadily in film, starring in A Beautiful Mind (2001), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), Cinderella Man (2005), 3:10 to Yuma (2007), American Gangster (2007), Robin Hood (2010), and The Nice Guys (2016). Other memorable roles include the obsessive inspector Javert in Les Misérables (2012); Superman’s biological father Jor-El in Man of Steel (2013); and Zeus in Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Additionally, the actor has done more onscreen and voice work on television, earning credits for Republic of Doyle and Take Us Home: Leeds United, and winning a Golden Globe (for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for The Loudest Voice. Although Crowe is not set to appear in the Gladiator sequel, his recent projects include The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) and Kraven the Hunter (2024).

From 2003 to 2018, Crowe was married to Australian singer Danielle Spencer, with whom he shares two sons: Charles and Tennyson.

Connie Nielsen (Lucilla)

Connie Nielsen is Lucilla, the second daughter of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and older sister to Commodus, who has to handle her father's murder and her brother's ascension to the throne all while trying to assist her former paramour, Maximus, in saving Rome.

"It was one of the things that made me feel so grateful to be part of the whole film, really. Ridley [Scott] really was intent on making this character an equal to those men, if not even more than an equal," Nielsen told EW in May 2020. "And I think that he heard me loud and clear when I complained at our very first meeting [about] the way that Hollywood treats women. I think that he just is somebody who was very intent on making that character be the smartest person in the room, and it was also what made me so proud of playing that character."

Prior to Gladiator, Nielsen had made her film debut in the 1984 French film Par où t'es rentré ? On t'a pas vu sortir (How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave). She then landed parts in films like The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Permanent Midnight (1998), Rushmore (1998), and Mission to Mars (2000).

Following her role as Lucilla, the Danish actress starred opposite Robin Williams in the psychological thriller One Hour Photo (2002). Other notable post-Gladiator projects include Demonlover (2002), Basic (2003), The Hunted (2003), Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013), Nobody (2021), and Role Play (2024). Nielsen became the envy of comic-book fans everywhere when she joined the DC Extended Universe as Wonder Woman’s mother, Themysciran queen Hippolyta — appearing in Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). Nielsen will once again don Lucilla's sandals in the upcoming Gladiator sequel.

From 2004 to 2012, Nielsen dated Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, with whom she shares a son named Bryce. She has another son, record producer Sebastian Sartor, from her previous relationship with actor Fabio Sartor.

Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus)

Known for his method-acting prowess, Joaquin Phoenix channels his inner turmoil as Commodus, consumed by resentment towards his father’s lack of confidence in him and jealousy for the attention paid to Maximus.

Despite later earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Gladiator, Phoenix initially doubted whether he was suitable for the part, allegedly asking Ridley Scott for a screen test. ”It is true that no one really saw me [as Commodus], which is understandable because I don’t think I’d given any indication that I could handle something like this," Phoenix told EW in June 2000. "I think Ridley wanted a sexier emperor."

Pre-Gladiator, Phoenix appeared under his stage name Leaf Phoenix in films like SpaceCamp (1986), Russkies (1987), and Parenthood (1989). He took a hiatus from acting after the death of his brother River in 1993. Two years later, he returned to the screen in a supporting part opposite Nicole Kidman and Matt Dillon in the 1995 black comedy To Die For (for which he reverted to his birth name for the credit).

Following his part as the megalomaniacal Commodus, Phoenix gained momentum with appearances in Quills (2000), Signs (2002), Ladder 49 (2004), The Village (2004), and Hotel Rwanda (2004). He then hit a career stride in his portrayal of the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line, garnishing him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role; a Golden Globe win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy; and a Grammy win for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media. Other notable projects include The Master (2012), Her (2013), Beau is Afraid (2023), and Napoleon (2023), the latter of which he reunited with director Scott more than two decades after Gladiator. Additionally, Phoenix is one of the latest actors to don the clownish makeup of the notorious DC Comics villain the Joker in 2019’s Joker (for which he won an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role), and he will reprise the role in Joker: Folie à Deux in October 2024.

Phoenix and his former Her costar, actress Rooney Mara, got engaged in 2019. Together, they share one son, and in February 2024, PEOPLE reported that the couple is expecting their second child.

Richard Harris (Marcus Aurelius)

One would expect Emperor Marcus Aurelius to have an overflow of pomp and wisdom, and who better to portray him than Richard Harris?

For many, Harris was synonymous with the role of the mythical King Arthur through his starring in several adaptations of the hit Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot, including the 1967 film version and the 1982 television movie, along with stage revivals on Broadway and London’s West End in the early and mid-1980s. In addition to Camelot, he starred on several British and American television anthology series, along with appearances in The Snow Goose (1971), The Field (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Abraham (1993), Cry, the Beloved Country (1995), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1997).

Harris also churned out music, most notably the original rendition of the Jimmy Webb-penned “MacArthur Park” — a song released as a single off his 1968 Grammy-nominated album, A Tramp Shining, which eventually climbed up the Billboard Hot 100 chart to No. 2. He was nominated for two more Grammy awards, winning one in 1973 for his spoken word recording of novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Following Gladiator, Harris shined as beloved Hogwarts professor Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). Harris initially turned down the part but doubled back once his granddaughter insisted that she would never speak to him again if he did. He also appeared in The Count of Monte Cristo in 2002.

Unfortunately, Harris’ role as Dumbledore would be one of his last, as the actor died at age 72 in 2002 after a battle with Hodgkin’s disease. (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released posthumously, and Michael Gambon took over the part for the remainder of the film series.) He is survived by his three sons: actor Jared Harris, actor Jamie Harris, and director Damian Harris.

Djimon Hounsou (Juba)

Djimon Hounsou is the pragmatic and calming Juba — one of Maximus' great allies during his time at Proximo's gladiator training — whose presence offsets the former general's rage and pain and shines in the final scene, which was not originally in the script.

"My last shot [before leaving set] was pretty much the last shot of the film, as you see me bury the ancestors of Maximus.... That scene was not written. We didn't know how we were gonna finish the film," he told GQ when breaking down his most iconic characters in January 2022. "So how we shot that last scene was just a surprise to everybody and no one was around. It was the end of the day, with just one camera operator, the director, and myself, and it was beautiful."

Prior to his role as Juba, Hounsou initially pursued modeling at the encouragement of fashion designer Thierry Mugler. With appearances in music videos for Madonna and Janet Jackson, acting parts came in films like Without You I'm Nothing (1990) and Stargate (1994), as well as guest-starring on Beverly Hills, 90210. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Cinque, an enslaved person who led a mutiny on a Spanish ship transporting captives to Cuba, in the critically acclaimed drama Amistad (1997).

After Gladiator, Hounsou returned to television with stints on ER, Soul Food, Alias, and as the voice of T’Challa in BET’s 2010 animated miniseries Black Panther. Film projects continued with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life (2003), Constantine (2004), and Beauty Shop (2005). The actor received two Academy Award nominations for his supporting performances in In America (2002) and Blood Diamond (2006). Other notable post-Gladiator roles include Korath the Pursuer in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Captain Marvel (2019); the Fisherman King in Aquaman (2018); the wizard Shazam in Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023); and General Titus in parts one and two of Rebel Moon (2023, 2024). In December 2023, Hounsou told BroBible he would not return for the Gladiator sequel.

From 2007 to 2013, Hounsou dated model, TV personality, and Baby Phat creative director Kimora Lee Simmons. Together, they share a son, Kenzo.

Spencer Treat Clark (Lucius)

Before his role as the preteen Lucius — Lucilla's son and Marcus Aurelius' grandson — Spencer Treat Clark had appeared on the soap opera Another World and as Jeff Bridges’ son in the 1999 drama Arlington Road. However, filming Gladiator with actors like Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe "played pretty important roles" in Clark's life.

"Every once in a while, I run into...Russell Crowe or get to pass a message on to him because he obviously doesn’t live in L.A. But it was amazing to work with Joaquin," he told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2020. "I spent three months with Joaquin in Malta, and three months when you’re 11 years old is a long time. These people all had really informative roles in my childhood."

Post–Gladiator, Clark moved on to roles in Unbreakable (2000), Mystic River (2003), and The Last House on the Left (2009). Television came calling as well, with parts on Third Watch, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mad Men, NCIS, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife, and Manhunt. He has also had two long-term TV roles, as HYDRA agent Werner von Strucker on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and as narcotics smuggler turned government spy Adrian Dolan on Animal Kingdom.

While Clark will not be reprising his role as Lucius in the upcoming Gladiator sequel (who will now be portrayed by Paul Mescal), he was in 2023's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and will appear in the 2024 remake of Stephen King’s vampire shocker Salem’s Lot.

Oliver Reed (Antonius Proximo)

Oliver Reed played Antonius Proximo — a merchant of gladiators who enslaves the now-exiled Maximus to add to his collection of fighters — and his deadpan delivery during some of Gladiator's best quips was owed to his hearty acting career.

While many of his earliest roles went uncredited, the veteran actor had a fruitful relationship with Hammer Films, which included brief appearances in The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) and Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960). Reed would move away from Hammer as his career progressed, with a breakout role as ruthless criminal Bill Sikes in 1968’s Oliver!, which ultimately won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (for his uncle, Carol Reed). He followed this up with more projects, including the Oscar-nominated Women in Love (1969), The Devils (1971), The Big Sleep (1978), The Three Musketeers (1973), The Brood (1989), Dr. Heckyl & Mr. Hype (1980), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), The Pit and the Pendulum (1991), and Parting Shots (1998).

Reed brought some bluntness to Gladiator as the feisty yet frugal Proximo. Sadly, it would serve as his onscreen swan song: Reed died in 1999 at age 61 while on break from production. His final scenes were completed using a double and CGI, which would earn him a posthumous nomination for a Best Supporting Actor BAFTA award. Reed is survived by his wife (Josephine Burge) and children, Mark and Sarah.

Tommy Flanagan (Cicero)

Tommy Flanagan is Cicero, Maximus' fiercely loyal servant who helps the former commander get the audience he needs from the Roman senate through Lucilla.

"It was incredible. I mean my first day [on the Gladiator set], I get to Malta and I walk on this huge, huge set — just like Rome," Flanagan said to Michael Rosenbaum on the podcast Inside of You in July 2022. "And I remember I didn't have any training. I did some theater, which was great for the acting thing, but as far as film...I just sat and watched."

Prior to Gladiator, Flanagan was a player in Robert Carlyle’s theater troupe, Raindog, and would move onto the big screen with supporting roles in Braveheart (1995), Face/Off (1997), and The Game (1997).

Afterward, the Scottish actor would go on to appear in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003), Alien vs. Predator (2004), Smokin’ Aces (2006), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). Flanagan has also had plenty of guest stints on high-profile television shows like Peaky Blinders, Revenge, 24, and Gotham. He landed the roles of Incite Martin Connells on Westworld; crime leader Alec McCullough on the Netflix martial arts fantasy series Wu Assassins; and Walter Flynn on Starz’s Power Book IV: Force. However, Flanagan is best known as SAMCRO president Filip “Chibs” Telford on Sons of Anarchy, who he portrayed for the entire series run. In 2024, he reunited with his former Gladiator costar Russell Crowe in Sleeping Dogs.

Since 2010, Flanagan has been married to film producer Dina Flanagan, with whom he shares a daughter, Aunjanue.

Derek Jacobi (Gracchus)

Derek Jacobi is Senator Gracchus, who switches sides after Commodus displays a lack of savvy in ruling his people.

"I was [on set] for about three months and it was joyous. It was a lovely part and a very exciting setup, working in the Colosseum every day with tigers and gladiators and sword fighting. It was great," Jacobi told Collider in September 2020. "I just enjoy my work, really. Fortunately, I’ve been very lucky in my career."

Though Gracchus might be somewhat of a skeptic, Jacobi's 60-plus years of stage and screen experience cannot be refuted. A substantial amount of the English actor's oeuvre has been based on the works of William Shakespeare, with his first film credit opposite Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith in 1965’s Othello. Dividing his time and talent among multiple mediums, his well-known earlier film projects include The Odessa File (1974), The Medusa Touch (1978), and Little Dorrit (1987). He would collaborate multiple times with actor/director Kenneth Branagh, including 1989’s Henry V (Branagh’s directorial debut), 1991’s Dead Again, and 1996’s Hamlet.

After several years of performing on stage and television, Jacobi riveted audiences in the titular role of the 1976 BBC dramatic adaptation I, Claudius, for which he earned the Best Actor BAFTA. I, Claudius traveled across the Atlantic, where American audiences caught it as part of PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre, gaining several Primetime Emmy nominations and winning one for Outstanding Art Direction. For his role as the Imposter in 1988’s The Tenth Man, he would win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special. He would also win a second Emmy in 2001, this time for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance in Frasier’s season 8 episode, “The Show Must Go Off,” as (wait for it) a failed stage actor.

After revisiting Ancient Rome in Gladiator, Jacobi continued to dazzle in the films Gosford Park (2001), Nanny McPhee (2005), Underworld: Evolution (2006), The King’s Speech (2010), Anonymous (2011), and Murder on the Orient Express (2017). As for television, Jacobi landed parts on Doctor Who, The Borgias, Titanic: Blood and Steel, Les Misérables, The Crown, and Good Omens, as well as long-term stints on Vicious and Last Tango in Halifax. Along with Connie Nielsen, he is slated to reprise his role of Gracchus in the Gladiator sequel.

In 2006, Jacobi married his partner of 27 years, theater director Richard Clifford.

Ralf Moeller (Hagen)

Ralf Moeller portrays Hagen, one of Maximus' fellow gladiators, who joins him in his quest to take down Commodus.

"I still can’t believe [it] sometimes when I watch [Gladiator]. When we grow up as kids, there are certain kinds of films you watch over and over again, even if you’ve seen them. This is also that kind of film," Moeller told Muscle & Fitness. "I watch it and suddenly I appear and I say to myself, 'You were in that kind of movie.'"

However, Gladiator wasn't the first time Moeller showcased his towering height and impressive physique in an action film. The former Mr. Universe previously appeared in films like Cyborg (1989), Universal Soldier (1992), and Batman & Robin (1997). He also played the lead on the late-'90s series Conan the Adventurer.

Following Gladiator, additional films include The Scorpion King (2002) Pathfinder (2007), and The Tourist (2010). In 2020, he costarred alongside Bruce Willis in Breach.

From 1990 to 2013, the bodybuilder was married to Annette M?ller, with whom he shares daughters Laura and Jacqueline.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.