10 Massively Underrated 2000s Movie Performances

Of course, individually, it’s hard to say that there’s anything remotely underrated about either Richard Harris or Gladiator. The legendary Irish actor was rightly renowned for a range of roles (try saying that with a mouthful of prestigious acting awards), a true star of the stage in particular. Gladiator, meanwhile, is a star-studded epic that reinvigorated interest in such historical movies (see 2004’s Troy, starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana).

What’s interesting, though, is just how much Harris accomplished during his brief appearance in Gladiator. As the aged and feeble Emperor Marcus Aurelius, we establish that he accompanies the army of Maximus Decimus Meridius to the site of a decisive victory against Germanic tribes, as another great chunk is added to the empire. After the fight, he confesses to his general that he feels all this bloodshed is meaningless, that Rome has strayed far from the light and that his own son, Commodus, lacks the moral character to succeed him and steer Rome right. Instead, he wanted Maximus to take over as regent on his death.

Sadly, sonny boy hears of this and proves to be exactly the immoral weasel his father feared, smothering the old man, declaring himself emperor and setting about destroying Maximus’s family. While you surely know all of this, it’s undeniable that Richard Harris’s impassioned performance during his few scenes are super powerful. Amid all the praise for Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Gladiator, let’s not forget that.