As Gladiator II is getting set to step back into the Colosseum this fall, there’s going to be a lot of stories about director Ridley Scott’s skills behind the camera. But if there’s any member of the Gladiator II cast that has quite possibly the best stories about the franchise,

With Gladiator II hitting cinemas on November 22, Connie Nielsen is sharing her emotional return to the Colosseum over 20 years after the original Gladiator film arrived in theaters in 2000. Nielsen starred as Lucilla in the 2000 Ridley Scott-directed historical epic feature opposite Russell Crowe,

Connie Nielsen has spoken about Russell Crowe’s absence from Gladiator II, saying she understands his disappointment over not being involved.