Oscar-winning actor and director Mel Gibson has revealed that he was originally offered the lead role in Ridley Scott’s historical epic Gladiator, but ultimately had to turn it down due to a scheduling conflict. The role eventually went to Russell Crowe, who won Best Actor at the Academy Awards for it.
At the time the movie was in pre-production, Gibson was best known for his breakout role in the Mad Max franchise and later as the star of the Lethal Weapon series. He also gained recognition for directing, winning the Best Director award for his historical epic Braveheart. Gibson would later direct acclaimed films like The Passion of the Christ and Hacksaw Ridge; however, he could have added another Oscar to his shelf had it not been for his packed calendar.
During a panel at MegaCon Orlando, Gibson confirmed that he had been in line to portray Maximus in Gladiator but was unable to take the role due to scheduling conflicts with Roland Emmerich’s Revolutionary War epic The Patriot. Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Gibson expressed his regret, stating, “You go back and you think, ‘Well, I wish I’d done that.’ Ridley [Scott] came to me with Gladiator and I didn’t do that either. But I was doing The Patriot, so I couldn’t do Gladiator, so Russell got it, and he did a great job. It’s kind of interesting, the things you missed.”
Gibson would have been a sensible choice for Scott if he wanted an established leading man familiar with historical epics. The comparisons between Braveheart and Gladiator likely played a role in Scott’s interest in casting Gibson, given the similar themes of both movies. Gibson’s tale of William Wallace was a significant success at the Academy Awards in the mid-90s.
Had Gibson taken on the role, he might have brought a grittier edge to Maximus, which could have led to a different portrayal compared to Crowe’s more nuanced and emotionally tormented interpretation. Gladiator won a total of five Academy Awards from 12 nominations, including Crowe’s Best Actor award, Best Picture, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.
With a global gross of $460.5 million against a production budget of $103 million, Gladiator was the second highest-grossing film of 2000, trailing only Tom Cruise‘s Mission: Impossible 2. The significance of Gibson’s missed opportunity serves as a reminder of how shifting schedules can lead to monumental changes in a film’s legacy.
