According To Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington's Energy Made Mysterious Things Happen On Set Of "GLADIATOR II"

Warning: This article contains spoilers for GLADIATOR II. 

It’s been over two decades since Gladiator stormed the box office, catapulting Russell Crowe to stardom and redefining epic cinema. Now, Gladiator II is set to pick up the story on November 14, following Lucius, the young son of Lucilla, who is now navigating Rome’s political maze in the shadow of Maximus's legacy.

Directed again by the legendary Ridley Scott, the film brings an all-star cast into the fray, with Paul Mescal starring as an older Lucius alongside Pedro Pascal, Fred Hechinger, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington.

Connie Nielsen, the only returning cast member from the original, steps back into the role of Lucilla, a character who’s more complex than ever. BuzzFeed Australia sat down with Connie to hear all about her on-set experience with Paul Mescal, the magical energy of Denzel Washington and how she was linked to Joseph Quinn. Here's what she had to say:

BFOZ: After 24 years away, what was it like coming back to such an iconic franchise like this?

Connie: It’s been like a great gift, I’ve just really relished every minute of it and it’s been just so rewarding. 

BFOZ: The lineup of actors is seriously stacked. What was it like working with Denzel in that space together?

Connie: It was obviously really insane. Denzel coming on set, I swear he brings with him such energy that when he passes through, believe me, the curtains are literally moving. And it was just very interesting for me to bring my energy as Lucilla to bear on his predatory energy as Macrinus.

BFOZ: As a returning cast member, did any of the newer cast ask for any advice on how to play their roles or build that storyworld?

Connie: Yeah, it was actually really funny. I had a lot of scenes together with [Joseph Quinn] and [Fred Hechinger], who play the young emperors, and I just told them, 'Don’t be intimidated by this giant machinery, Ridley [Scott] really wants your feedback. He really wants your ideas, go nuts and show him'. And they were like 'Great'. It was just wonderful to see how they just worked so hard on creating those two characters together. They’re such great young actors.

BFOZ: With so many moving parts on set were there ever any moments between [Joseph and Fred] or the other cast members, that were chaotic?

Connie: No. Everything is in Ridley [Scott]’s world, it’s not that it’s controlled. It’s just very well balanced, and so because of this balance, both of freedom but also of coherence, those two things make it such a pleasure as a process.

BFOZ: Gladiator II brings together seasoned actors and the new generation, how does the new wave of actors change the atmosphere on set, compared to when you first started?

Connie: It was funny because you know, [Joseph Quinn] plays this character on Stranger Things and when I said that he was playing one of the characters, my youngest [child] was like ‘Huhhhh? Have you not seen him play dad’s song?', because you know, my son’s father is Lars Ulrich. And I was like ‘No!’. And he was just like, ‘It’s all over YouTube! You’ve got to see it,' and he showed it to me and I understood why this character was just so incredible for his whole generation. I just find that that’s a testament to Ridley’s casting right? That he really brings in so many diverse people and builds out a really complete cast.

BFOZ: Speaking of a new generation of actors, let's talk about the man of the moment, Paul [Mescal]. What were your first impressions of him when you first started filming? And what do those impressions look like now?

Connie: I’ve seen him in Aftersun and I think the world of that film and his work in it is so beautiful. I could also see in his energy — he’s ambitious. He’s also humble and he is an actor’s actor, even if he is so young and handsome. He’s just really the real deal. I was excited to work with him on this film, but I was conscious also, as the mother of five sons...of the enormous burden that was put on his shoulders, and I was impressed with how well he was shouldering it. How he was compensating and repositioning himself at all times. That was truly like…impressive.

BFOZ: So many things are happening at once and we're curious to know, were there any particular scenes that were challenging or diffcult to get into the mindset of Lucilla?

Connie: The way that [Lucilla]’s written is coherent and then the work that we each do, all of us actors, is to bring background, context and to lobby for our ideas which we all did with Ridley — lobbying, and trying to gain justice for your character. So, what I found was even in the most difficult scene all I had to do was to say to Ridley, ‘Ridley, I wouldn’t just sit here if this were real, I basically would’ve thrown those two guys over the railing and murdered them, if that was the situation for me.’ And he was like [to the crew], ‘Okay let’s chain her down’. Ha ha. It was that kind of response immediately to what we were bringing up.

BFOZ: And finally, what was your favourite memory from filming Gladiator II? Was there a specific moment that stands out for you?

Connie: You know, if I bring in a moment from off set — we all went out on a boat for my birthday and we were all sitting out on this boat, the whole day. We all ate lunch together at this beach restaurant and swam together in these caves. It was just like a really beautiful moment, I will cherish that moment. It was in Malta and we were sailing all along the coast and over to this other island aswell. It was really lovely.