“Fun to Be Villains”: Joseph Quinn & Fred Hechinger Share Their Experience as Twin Antagonists in Gladiator II

Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, who play the twin emperors Geta and Caracalla in Gladiator II, recently shared how they enjoyed creating their unique villainous characters for Ridley Scott’s upcoming film. In a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Quinn and Hechinger revealed the creative process behind their loud and chaotic roles, which led the director to label them “the real loonies” of the cast.

Quinn explained that he and Hechinger embodied their characters’ quirky personalities so fully that their evening conversations often mirrored the loud energy of their roles. He joked about how they often seemed to live the characters’ “heaving and wailing” antics in real life, which made their onscreen bond all the more authentic. Hechinger also joked, saying this was just “how we exist,” and it happened to fit their film characters perfectly.

The two actors, who play spoiled, overly confident twin emperors, highlighted how much they enjoyed working together. Quinn praised Hechinger’s bold acting choices and how he brought a surprising level of “talent, bravery, and daring” to their shared scenes. He added that they wanted their characters to feel deeply connected and yet flawed in different ways—entitled, codependent, and struggling with their own burdens. Hechinger agreed, describing how they aimed to create both a strong individual presence for each emperor and a unique energy as a duo.

The actors were not alone in admiring this dynamic. Pedro Pascal, who plays General Marcus Acacius, commented on how well Quinn and Hechinger crafted their characters, making them dangerous yet amusing villains. Pascal described how their synchronized actions brought humor to the set, but as characters, they exuded a sense of threat. Pascal shared a memory of the two actors fully in character, “heaving and wailing” together in sync, describing the combination of fun and danger as “really cool.”

Gladiator II—a follow-up to the 2000 hit Gladiator—is set to premiere on November 15, and fans are eager to see how Quinn and Hechinger bring their twin emperor roles to life. Their blend of humor, intensity, and dynamic energy adds a fresh layer to the new film, making their villains some of the most anticipated characters in the story.

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