During the early stages of the new millennium, the renowned director Ridley Scottfamous for films like ‘Alien’ (1979) or ‘Blade Runner’ (1981), released the epic film set in ancient Rome ‘Gladiator’ (2000). The film follows the footsteps of Máximo Decimus Meridio, played by New Zealand actor Russell Crowe, a general of the legions of Hispanic origin who battles alongside the elderly emperor Marcus Aurelius, played by Richard Harris, in northern Europe. Due to his great loyalty, the emperor decides to name Maximus his successor as emperor of the vast Roman Empire, ahead of his own son Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who opposes this decision and tries to assassinate Maximus, initiating an escape. which ends with his sale as a slave and his entry into a gladiator school.
The film has a luxury cast made up of those mentioned above Russell Crowe, Richard Harris and Joaquin Phoenix who are also joined by the Danish actress Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed and Djimon Hounsou. But if this film helped any of his performers launch his artistic career, it was to young Spencer Treat Clarkwho at only 12 years old played Lucio Vero, Máximo’s nephew.
Clark had already lent his voice to some minor animated productions and had worked in a handful of television series before making his leap to the big screen with ‘Arlington Road. You Will Fear Your Neighbor’ (1999), an intrigue thriller in which she accompanied renowned actors such as Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack in the cast. After her collaboration with Ridley Scott on ‘Gladiator’, Spencer Treat Clark continued his career under the direction of Indian director M. Night Shyamalan in ‘Unbreakable’ (2000), where he put himself in the shoes of Joseph, the son of David Dunn, played by Bruce Willis, a man who discovers that he could have the quality of being indestructible. Clark collaborated again almost twenty years later with the Indian director in ‘Glass’ (2019), a film that connects ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Multiple’ (2016), closing an improvised trilogy in which the young actor once again plays the son of Bruce Willis’ character.
His meteoric rise in the film industry also gave him the opportunity to work under the orders of the legendary Clint Eastwood in ‘Mystic River’ (2003), an intrigue film about a gruesome crime where Spencer Treat Clark plays the silent Ray Harris. Currently, Clark has featured in some television series such as ‘Marvel, Agents of SHIELD’ (2013-2020) or ‘Animal Kingdom’ (2016-2022).
Given the imminent release that will take place this year of ‘Gladiator 2’, the memory of Clark playing Lucio in the original film gains more relevance than ever, since his character will be the protagonist of the sequel to the legendary film. However, andOn this occasion it will be the fashionable actor Paul Mescal who will play the roleleaving Spencer Treat Clark out of the equation.
