Robert Oliver Reed (born February 13, 1938, died May 2, 1999) was a British actor who played Antonius Proximo in Gladiator.
Profile[]
Oliver Reed was an actor of film and television with a career spanning over 40 years. He was known for films such as The Big Sleep and Castaway. As a television actor, he appeared in series such as The Golden Spur and R3.
Trivia[]
- He died of heart attack three weeks before principal photography ended. Since he was considered a key character, a clause in the movie's insurance coverage would have allowed the filmmakers to re-shoot all of Reed's scenes with another actor, and the insurers would pay for it. However, most of the actors and crew were exhausted from the punishing schedule, and Ridley Scott did not want to cut Reed from the movie. The script was re-written, a body double and CGI were used to give Reed's character a plausible resolution.
External links[]
- Oliver Reed on Wikipedia
- IMDb entry