Which actor portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott's 2023 film?

Joaquin Phoenix portrayed Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott's 2023 film Napoleon. The film dramatizes Napoleon's rise from an ambitious military officer to emperor of France, while also placing his turbulent relationship with Joséphine de Beauharnais at the center of the story.

Phoenix had previously worked with Scott in Gladiator, where he played the villainous Roman emperor Commodus. In Napoleon, he reunited with the director for a much more expansive historical role, appearing across battle scenes, political upheaval, and intimate domestic episodes. Vanessa Kirby played Joséphine.

Napoleon was written by David Scarpa and released theatrically in November 2023 through Columbia Pictures, with Apple TV+ later distributing it for streaming. The theatrical version runs for 157 minutes, while a substantially longer director's cut, titled Napoleon: The Director's Cut, was also released. The movie attracted attention for its large-scale battles, though historians and critics noted that it takes considerable dramatic liberties with Napoleon's life.