In the 2000 film Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, the ambitious Roman emperor who betrays his father and seizes power.
The film presents Commodus as the central antagonist opposing Maximus, played by Russell Crowe. After Emperor Marcus Aurelius indicates that Maximus should help restore the Roman Republic, Commodus murders him and claims the throne. He then orders the deaths of Maximus’s family, setting the revenge story in motion.
The character is based on the real Roman emperor Commodus, who ruled from 180 to 192 AD. However, Gladiator fictionalizes major details: Marcus Aurelius was not murdered by Commodus, and the historical Commodus was eventually strangled by the wrestler Narcissus rather than killed in the Colosseum.
A common mix-up is confusing Commodus with Maximus, the hero, or Proximo, the gladiator trainer. Phoenix’s performance earned Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor.