Napoleon star Joaquin Phoenix landed the role thanks to his facial features, says Ridley Scott.
“He has the nose and the eyes”
Speaking to Vulture, Scott spoke about casting his Gladiator star Phoenix in his latest spic. “I took a photograph of him and stuck a hat on it, and said, ‘There it is,'” Scott revealed.
“He has the nose and the eyes,” he concluded.
And the rest is history. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon in the film, which chronicles his rise to power through the eyes of Empress Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). Ben Miles, Tahar Rahim, and Ludivine Sagnier also star in the film.
Before Napoleon, Ridley Scott previously worked with Phoenix on Gladiator. In the film, Phoenix played Maximus' (Russell Crowe) adversary, Commodus. Some of Phoenix's other notable credits include playing Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, Her, Joker, C'mon C'mon, and Beau is Afraid.
Even at the age of 85, Scott has not slowed down. He began his career in 1977, directing The Duellists. He'd go on to direct sci-fi classics such as Alien and Blade Runner. Some of his other notable projects include Thelma & Louise, G.I. Jane, and American Gangster.
In recent years, Scott has continued making films at a rapid pace. Since 2013, he has directed eight films including Napoleon and is in production on a ninth (Gladiator 2). Some of those films include The Martian and Alien: Covenant. 2021 was a double feature of Scott productions, as both The Last Duel and House of Gucci — which both starred Adam Driver — hit theaters in the fall.
Napoleon will be released on November 22.
Follow Us
Subscribe
