10 Actors Who Refused To Make Sacrifices For Movie Roles
2. Gladiator Training Was Too Much For Mel Gibson
If you were casting a historical epic, youd surely think of giving Mel Gibson a call to see if he fancies travelling back in time once again. Given by the financial, critical and awards season success that Gibson earned with Braveheart in 1995, its no surprise that Ridley Scott asked him to star in Gladiator five years later. It is surprising, though, that Gibson turned the gig down. At 43, Gibson felt he was too old to take the part. Its easy to assume that he probably didnt fancy sacrificing all the time and energy itd take to train his body up to Gladiators required size and strength, especially since hed already done a somewhat similar film five years prior. Looking at it from a present day perspective, though, dodging Gladiator seems like a big misstep for Gibson. Perhaps he wouldnt have to star in the likes of The Beaver and Machete Kills these days if he had another blockbuster/awards smash under his belt. Of course, you can argue that Gibsons public behaviour is a bigger contributor to his diminished star power than one bad choice from sixteen years ago. I still bet he regrets it, though.
