After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
Tommy Flanagan (born 3 July 1965) is a Scottish film actor. His distinctive facial scars are a result of a mugging. Flanagan was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the 3rd of five children. Flanagan first television roles were in Screen One, 1992 and Taggart in 1993. Flanagan worked in Carlyle's Raindog Theatre for three years before being cast in Braveheart (1995). He has had roles in Face/Off, The Game, Sunset Strip, Gladiator, Alien vs. Predator, Sin City, Smokin' Aces, Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball, When a Stranger Calls, All About the Benjamins, The Last Drop and the mini-series Attila. He is a regular cast member on Sons of Anarchy, in which he plays outlaw biker Filip "Chibs" Telford.