How Gladiator's Original Lucius Actor Feels About Being Replaced By Paul Mescal

Spencer Treat Clark's acting career got off to a promising start at the turn of the millennium when the 12-year-old, coming off of appearances in "Arlington Road" and "Double Jeopardy," booked roles in what wound up being two of 2000's biggest hits: Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" and M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable." Three years later, he landed the part of Silent Ray in Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River," at which point it felt like we might be watching Clark grow into one of the top actors of his generation.

While Clark has worked steadily since then, he seems to be settling into more of a character actor groove –- which is a great place to be! But you have to wonder how the now 37-year-old performer feels when he happens across a trailer for "Gladiator II" and sees Paul Mescal mixing it up in the Coliseum as Lucius Verus, the adult version of the character he originated in the 2000 Oscar winner for Best Picture. The sequel is set two decades after the first movie, so he's the right age to step back into the role. Unfortunately, Clark wasn't deemed a big enough name to play the co-lead in a film alleged to have cost somewhere between $250 million and $300 million.

Given that Shyamalan brought Clark back to play Bruce Willis' son in his misbegotten "Unbreakable" sequel "Glass," mightn't the actor be a little peeved he didn't get the call from Scott?

In an interview with People, Clark, who co-stars in the just-released-to-streaming "'Salem's Lot," opened up about Mescal getting to star alongside Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and Connie Nielsen (who played Lucius' mother, Luicilla, in the first movie) in the role he originated 24 years ago. To his credit, he will only accentuate the positive.

Per Clark, "The movie looks so good, and Paul's going to do such a great job. I've actually heard great things about the movie." He went on to say he's "really excited" to see what Paul does with the part of Lucius.

Considering that he was so young when he made "Gladiator," Clark isn't miffed that "people forget" he was the first Lucius. "I feel like it was 25 years ago," he said. "But for some people, seeing me as an adult and being like, 'Oh my God, you're right. You were Lucius in Gladiator,' is so wild."

So, no sour grapes from Clark, who, at 37, is still pretty early in his journey as a performer. Who's to say he won't find a part over the next few years that launches him to stardom in his 40s? He's got a refreshingly gracious perspective on how things went down with "Gladiator II." It's hard not to pull for him.

"Gladiator II" opens in theaters on November 22, 2024.