Russell Crowe says he's 'slightly jealous' of Gladiator sequel

Russell Crowe is "slightly jealous" of the Gladiator sequel.

The 59-year-old actor has confirmed that he is not involved in Sir Ridley Scott's follow-up to the 2000 historical epic and feels a sense of envy as the movie has an enduring appeal.

Russell told Collider: "I mean, look, the only thing that I really feel about it is slightly jealous, you know? Because I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life.

"It's something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I've been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible."

The L.A. Confidential star continued: "Here it is, it's 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don't always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so, it obviously holds a special place in my heart."

Crowe won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius and confirmed last month that the crew had not been in touch about the long-awaited sequel — which is set to feature Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington and is slated for release in November 2024.

Russell told RTE Radio One's The Ryan Tubridy Show: "I'm sure at some point in time they'll want to ask me about something, but they haven't brought anything up in a while.

"It's an extension of the narrative, but it is long beyond Maximus' passing, so it doesn't really involve me at all."

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