Connie Nielson Talks Gladiator

2 months ago 07th Sep 10:23

It's hard to believe that it's nearly ten years since the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, a film that launched the careers of the three lead actors.

Despite making her English speaking movie debut in The Devil's Advocate it was this movie that threw actress Connie Nielson, who took on the role of Lucilla, into the limelight.

As the movie is about to be released on Blu-Ray I caught up with her to talk about the impact of the movie, her on set experiences and if there is anything behind those sequel rumours.

- Gladiator is about to be released on Blu-Ray, and the tenth anniversary of the movie is creeping up, so when you look back now how surprised are you by the film’s success?

I was happy by the success, I wasn’t surprised, but I was happy that the gamble had paid off for the studio and for the director, they had risked so much money on people who were really not very famous at all and on a kind of movie that had fallen out of favour completely with audiences and studios, so that was a wonderful thing that paid off for everyone.

But at the same time it was also a movie that actually had a heart where they had tried to say something with the movie, or at least to relay some emotion or idealism.

- You take on the role of Lucilla in the movie so what was it about this movie, and in particular the character, that drew you to the project?

Well I think she was a fun character to play because she was both bad and good at the same time, she had a side of her which was a spoilt rich kid and the other side of her which was mother and ruler who felt responsible once that responsibility had been laid on her.

- You have mentioned already the risk surrounding the movie but how risky did you see it when you signed up and was that part of the attraction of the part?

Oh yes absolutely (laughs).  I mean I was scared to death because there were many things that I didn’t know but that was a good thing, that’s always a good thing to go into something that you don’t know if you will be able to do it as it gives you adrenaline and gives you an extra push.

- The movie was shot between January and May of 1999 so what was the filming process like for you? And what was it like working on a production that was so big?

It was disorienting at the beginning but, at the same time, it was also spectacular I remember arriving, first outside of London, to see the big clash that’s out there and then arriving in Malta in this extraordinary built scene of Rome. It was spectacular and it really really was exciting to be a part of that.

And, to a certain degree, I think I have been a part of some of the last of that kind of film because ever since then everything else has been done with special effects and that doesn’t give the same substance to the look and feel of it.

- That leads me into my next question really I was reading that a replica of Rome’s Coliseum was built so what was it like walking onto these sets and how helpful was it to your performance?