He was in his princes outfit saying, I cant do it.

I said, What?'

he recounted toThe New York Times.

Joaquin Phoenix wears ancient Roman emperor attire in the Colosseum in a still from ‘Gladiator’.

Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Gladiator’ (2000).Everett

And Russell [Crowe] said, This is terribly unprofessional.'

But Im quite a friend of Joaquins.Gladiatorwas a baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning.

Production is dead on the film, which was set to co-starDanny Ramirez.

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott attend theNapoleonpremiere on Nov. 16, 2023 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images