Connie Nielsen on returning to “Gladiator” after 24 years: “I was nervous”

Connie Nielsen joined “CBS Mornings” to discuss stepping back into the world of “Gladiator” to reprise the beloved role of the character Lucilla, 24 years after the original film.

“I was nervous,” she said. “People really, really, really feel protective, I think, about the first one. A lot of people have been saying to me on the streets, ‘Don’t do number two, because number one is so perfect.'”

Nielsen explained that her decision to return hinged on the quality of the “Gladiator II” script.

“We were obviously wanting to make sure that the script was going to be amazing,” she said.

Her agents reassured her it was after speaking with producers.

“They were like, ‘Just tell her she’s going to be happy.'”

Reflecting on her character’s evolution, Nielsen expressed gratitude for the opportunity to portray a more mature Lucilla.

“I played that as a young woman, and it’s incredible to get the opportunity to show or go through the story of what happened to her over almost half a lifetime,” she said. “To get to tell that story and to get to show like what this mature Lucilla like — who has she grown into?”

Nielsen praised director Ridley Scott for his collaborative approach.

“Ridley is expecting you—he’s counting on you, he’s casting you because he wants you to be part of telling the story,” she said. “He makes you feel like there’s a lot of space for you creatively.”

She also reflected on the on-screen tension during her character Lucilla’s first meeting with her long-lost son Lucius, played by Paul Mescal.

“We didn’t really talk until we’d filmed that scene,” Nielsen said. “I’m coming from the perspective of a mother who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her son’s life… For him, the narrative is, ‘How could you abandon me?'”

“Gladiator II” is distributed by Paramount Pictures, which is part of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global. “Gladiator II” hits theaters on Friday, Nov. 22.