Connie Nielsen appeared on “CBS Mornings” to discuss returning to the world of “Gladiator” and reprising the role of the beloved character Lucilla, 24 years after the original film.
“I was nervous,” she said. “I think people really, really, really want to protect themselves with the first one. A lot of people have said to me on the street, ‘Don’t do the second one, the first one is perfect. ‘It’s too much.’
Nielsen explained that the decision to return will depend on the quality of the work. “Gladiator II” script.
“We obviously wanted to make sure the script was great,” she said.
Her agent reassured her that it was the result of speaking with producers.
“They were like, ‘Just tell her she’s going to be happy.'”
Reflecting on the character’s evolution, Nielsen expressed gratitude for the opportunity to portray a more mature Lucilla.
“I played this piece as a young woman and it was incredible to have the opportunity to portray and experience what happened to her almost half her life,” she said. spoke. “Being able to tell that story and show what this mature Lucilla is like, who has she grown into?”
Nielsen praises the director ridley scott for his collaborative approach.
“Ridley is counting on you. He’s counting on you. He’s casting you because he wants you to be a part of telling the story,” she said. . “He makes you feel like you have a lot of creative room.”
She also reflected on the on-screen tension when her character Lucilla first met her estranged son Lucius, played by Paul Mescal.
“We didn’t really talk until we shot that scene,” Nielsen said. “I’m speaking from the perspective of a mother who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her son’s life…The story for him is, ‘How could you abandon me?’ ”
“Gladiator II” is distributed by Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of CBS News parent company Paramount Global. Gladiator II will be released in theaters on Friday, November 22nd.
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