Russell Crowe on Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in “Gladiator” (2001). Russell is always very complimentary of his co-stars, and I am a fan of his approach. “Gladiator” wouldn't be half of what it became if it wasn't for the performances of the entire cast. From ‘green’ actors like Joaquin to veterans like Oliver Reed and Richard Harris. Everyone was simply fantastic. They started shooting the film with about 20-ish pages of the script. For your reference, movie scripts usually have around 110 pa