The Joker star was locked in to play the lead role in Todd Haynes’ untitled gay romance flick but abruptly quit just five days before cameras were to start rolling, per Variety. His decision to exit the film, which reportedly featured explicit sex scenes, left production in “peril,” insiders told the outlet.

Joaquin Phoenix nearly walked away from his iconic role as Commodus in Gladiator, director Ridley Scott recently revealed. During an interview with The New York Times, Scott recalled Phoenix

Oscar winning-actor Joaquin Phoenix, who played the villainous Roman emperor Commodus in the 2000 film“Gladiator”, was told

"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.

Joaquin Phoenix made his breakout performance in 2000’s Gladiator, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Nearly 25 years later, director Ridley Scott revealed that Phoenix nearly dropped out of the role of Commodus at the last minute,

Scott addressed the topic in a new interview with The New York Times, in which he was actually discussing Barry Keoghan, who had to drop out of Gladiator II. “Barry is one of the good ones, the same level as Joaquin Phoenix and Paul.

As he said he was planning to quit the project, Joaquin Phoenix was told he was being “unprofessional” by Russell Crowe on the set of ‘Gladiator’.

After that, James McAvoy claimed that he was only cast in M Night Shyamalan’s 2016 thriller Split as Phoenix had quit the role weeks before the film was scheduled to begin production. It turns out Phoenix was also on the cusp of quitting Gladiator also,

Joaquin Phoenix tried quitting "Gladiator" mid-shoot before being persuaded to stay by Ridley Scott, the director said in an interview published Thursday. Ahead of the film's sequel, "Gladiator II," Scott told the New York Times that Phoenix,