#USStablecoinBill đ In 1999, during the filming of the movie Gladiator on the island of Malta, British actor Oliver Reed â famous for his talent but also for his wild life â decided to treat himself to a night of fun.
He was in a pub in Valletta, where he accepted a drinking challenge from a group of Royal Navy sailors.
According to reports, Reed drank in one night eight pints of beer, twelve double rums, and fourteen whiskies â an impressive amount even for someone like him, who was known for his alcohol tolerance.
After the drinking "competition" and some arm wrestling with the sailors, Reed suddenly felt unwell. He suffered a fatal heart attack right there in the pub and died shortly after, at only 61 years old.
The bar where the incident occurred still keeps his last unpaid receipt as a sort of relic, and it changed its name to "Ollie's Last Pub" in his honor.
His death was a heavy blow to the production of Gladiator. Reed had already filmed most of his scenes, playing the role of Proximo, the former gladiator turned slave trainer.
However, to complete the film, it was necessary to digitally recreate his face using CGI, a technique still pioneering at the time, and modify some scenes.
This unforeseen event increased the production budget by about 3 million dollars, a considerable sum for that time.
Despite the tragedy, the final result was astonishing: the special effects work was so well done that many viewers did not notice the substitution.
At the end of the film, Ridley Scott decided to dedicate Gladiator to the memory of Oliver Reed, with a touching note in the credits:
"To Oliver Reed, our friend, who we miss very much."
His last performance remains one of his most beloved roles, securing his place in the history of cinema as an icon of talent and intensity, both in life and on screen.