Joaquin Phoenix tried to drop out of original ‘Gladiator’ before Russell Crowe blasted him for being ‘unprofessional’

Joaquin Phoenix nearly gave up his villainous role of Commodus in the original “Gladiator.”

While discussing the cult classic’s upcoming sequel with the New York Times, director Ridley Scott revealed Phoenix had to be convinced to stay on the film after threatening to drop out at the last minute.

“He was in his prince’s outfit saying, ‘I can’t do it.’ I said, ‘What?'” Scott recalled. “And Russell [Crowe] said, ‘This is terribly unprofessional.'”

When asked how he persuaded Phoenix, 50, to stay, Scott, 86, said he came to him as a friend — not just the director.

“I can act as a big brother or dad. But I’m quite a friend of Joaquin’s,” he explained. “‘Gladiator’ was a baptism of fire for both of us in the beginning.”

Despite the rocky start, the film ended up winning five Academy Awards — including Best Picture.

Paul Mescal is set to take the reigns as the star of “Gladiator II,” starring alongside Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal.

While Barry Keoghan was originally cast to play a prominent antagonist role, he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with “Saltburn.”

“I think that’s maybe the best film I’ve seen this year,” Scott told the NY Times of the Emerald Fennell-lead movie.

“Anyway, Barry is one of the good ones, the same level as Joaquin Phoenix and Paul,” he continued. “Barry is so complex and actually has it under control. I know he’s a bit of a challenge, but it’s worth it. Like deciding on Joaquin, it’s worth it.”

While it’s not uncommon for actors to abandon projects due to other commitments, Phoenix made headlines over the summer after he backed out from a movie due to “cold feet.”

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.

A source later told Page Six the “subject matter of the film was a factor.”

We were also told there had even been sets already built in Guadalajara, Mexico, and his decision left the cast and crew without jobs — and compensation for the work already put in.

Phoenix’s departure reportedly tanked the film as his role couldn’t be recast because his name was attached to the project when it was sold to distributors.

One of the producers later called the fiasco a “nightmare.”

When asked about the decision at the Venice Film Festival, the actor declined to comment, noting that it would be unfair to share his side without the other filmmakers involved.