Ridley Scott’s 2000 Gladiator cast helped redefine and set a modern standard for Roman gladiatorial films. In retrospect, each cast member was perfectly cast for their role. Released 24 years ago, Gladiator was a career-defining project for several of the cast. The movie centered around Maximus Decimus Meridius, a loyal and skilled Roman general who served under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Emperor is murdered by his power-hungry son, Commodus, who seized the throne.
Commodus, threatened by Maximus’s loyalty to Rome and his influence over the army, orders Maximus’s execution and the murder of his family. Barely escaping death, Maximus becomes a fugitive and is sold to a gladiator trainer. Maximus rises through the tank as a gladiator, fueled by his grief and anger. His ultimate goal is revenge against Commodus and justice for his family. Its masterfully crafted story and filmmaking made Gladiator a critical and commercial success. With its sequel released in 2024 and only a few cast reprising their roles, here’s a look at the 2000 Gladiator’s top cast and where they are in their careers.
Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius
Although Russell Crowe has starred in several notable roles, Gladiator was his international breakthrough role. Portraying the general-turned-gladiator earned Crowe his second Oscar nomination but first win. It also solidified his status as a leading man in Hollywood. Since then, Russell Crowe spent the next two decades starring in several Box Office hits. His most recent, notable roles include playing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), The Pope’s Exorcist (2023), Land of Bad (2024), and The Exorcism (2024).
Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus
Joaquin Phoenix has earned a reputation for playing dark, eccentric characters. However, none of his earliest roles put him in the spotlight, like playing Commodus in Gladiator. As one of the movie’s support cast, Phoenix’s character was Gladiator’s main villain. Joaquin Phoenix delivered a mesmerizing performance, portraying Commodus as a deeply flawed and vulnerable character.
Commodus is torn between his lust for power and his desire for love and approval. Unsurprisingly, Joaquin Phoenix’s performance earned the actor his first Oscar nomination, although he lost the category to Benicio del Toro for Traffic. In the past decades, Joaquin Phoenix has starred in several other notable film projects. He recently portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon (2023) and the titular supervillain in the Joker films.
Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
Lucilla was introduced as Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ daughter and Commodus’s sister in Gladiator. Danish actress Connie Nielsen, who played the character, is one of two Gladiator cast members who reprised their role in the 2024 sequel, Gladiator II. In the 2000 Gladiator, Lucilla was a complex and pivotal character. She was caught between her loyalty to her family and her disapproval of her brother’s tyranny. After Gladiator, Nielsen went on to portray the DC Comics superhero Queen Hippolyta. Besides playing Queen Hippolyta, Connie Nielsen recently starred in Origin (2023) and Role Play (2024).
Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo
Antonius Proximo was another significant character in Gladiator. Played by English actor Oliver Reed, Proximo was a former gladiator who became a slave trader and owner/trainer of a gladiatorial school. Despite his initial focus on profit, Proximo reveals a more complex side, showing respect for Maximus’s skill and honor. Tragically, Oliver Reed passed away on May 2, 1999, during Gladiator’s production. Ridley Scott, refusing to recast the character, completed Reed’s remaining scenes through existing footage, stand-ins, and CGI.
Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus
English actor Derek Jacobi joined the Gladiator cast as Senator Gracchus. His character is one of the key members of the Roman Senate who opposes Emperor Commodus’ authoritarian rule. Gracchus represented the voice of the Republic, advocating for the restoration of Rome’s traditional values and democratic governance. Derek Jacobi is another Gladiator cast member who reprised his role in the 2024 sequel. The octogenarian actor kept an active profile in film, television, and theater. Although he has taken fewer acting roles in recent years, before Gladiator II, Jacobi last appeared in A Bird Flew In (2021) and Allelujah (2022).
Djimon Hounsou as Juba
Beninese actor Djimon Hounsou joined the Gladiator cast in a supporting role as Juba. His character was a fellow gladiator and Maximus’s close friend. Juba was a former Numidian warrior who was enslaved and forced into the gladiatorial arenas. Although a supporting character, Juba was one of Gladiator’s most memorable and iconic characters. Djimon Hounsou continued his screen career, starring in several big-budget Box Office hits. In the past two years, Hounsou played The Wizard in Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), Steve Mardenborough in Gran Turismo (2023), and General Titus in the Rebel Moon films.
Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius
Irish actor and singer Richard Harris was also part of the Gladiator cast, albeit with only a short screen time. Harris portrayed Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the wise and aging Roman Emperor who values virtue and the good of Rome above all else. Recognizing the corruption in the Empire, Emperor Aurelius appointed Maximus as his successor.
The Emperor’s decision to bypass his son, Commodus, for the throne sets the stage for the film’s tragic events. Richard Harris was another Gladiator cast member who has died. Before his death on October 25, 2002, Harris portrayed the iconic Professor Albus Dumbledore in the 2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and posthumously in its 2002 sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus
A then-12-year-old Spencer Treat Clark played Lucius Verus in Gladiator. His character was the Lucilla’s young son and Commodus’ nephew. Lucius was portrayed as an innocent and curious child who symbolized the potential for a brighter future amidst Rome’s corruption and thirst for violence. Despite his brilliant performance, Spencer Treat Clark wasn’t called upon to reprise his role as a grown Lucius Verus. Irish actor Paul Mescal replaced Clark in Gladiator II. However, Clark went on to star in several notable film and TV projects, including Glass (2019), Manhunt (2024), and ‘Salem’s Lot (2024). Despite the iconic performances by the Gladiator cast, historians criticized the film for its historical inaccuracies.
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