Remember When an Actress from ‘Gladiator’ Crossed PDN Bridge

I was fresh into high school when the movie Gladiator was released in 2000. Clearly that movie was popular by many and had a great plot. The movie won so many awards and won the actors some awards too. Well many years ago one of the stars from that film had crossed the border and crossed paths with my dad. Actress Connie Nielsen met my dad and his fellow co-workers. Connie Nielsen played the role of Lucilla in Gladiator. Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) was the sister of the evil character Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus). Certain scenes were gross to watch since it involved incest between the siblings Commodus and Lucilla.

WellMy dad used to work for Immigration what is now known as CBP (Customs and Border Protection). Well, Connie Nielsen had been filming in Chihuahua before stopping in El Paso. Connie Nielsen had needed a permit and got it at the Paso Del Norte bridge Downtown. She was very humble the entire time while meeting different officers at the bridge. She even took the time to take pictures with different employees while she was there. It is rare to come across a celebrity that is crossing any bridge from Ciudad Juarez into El Paso, Texas. But this story was awesome to hear back then when my dad told me about it. In the picture, you see above it is a fellow officer, Connie Nielsen, and my dad on the right. Now when Gladiator is showing on one of the movie channels I get giddy inside knowing she met my dad in El Paso.