That’s a lot of Oscar history happening in the span of two years, a Jenga tower of cause and effect that would topple if even one block got removed. Like, for example, if Russell Crowe never won that Best Actor Oscar for Gladiator, a development that would alter the course of Oscars history, Hollywood history — heck, even American history.

In a recent discussion, acclaimed director Ridley Scott revealed that Russell Crowe was extremely enthusiastic about reprising his role of General Maximus in Gladiator 2. The actor, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2001 for his role in Gladiator,

Russell Crowe previously said he was "slightly jealous" and "uncomfortable" about the sequel Much has been said about Russell Crowe's absence from the new Gladiator sequel. The actor, now 60, won an Oscar for Best Actor in 2001 for his performance in the first film as Maximus,