Paul Mescal Admits He Was “Too Afraid” to Talk to Pedro Pascal Before Filming Gladiator: Paul Mescal talked about feeling nervous before making a movie and shared interesting things about the new Gladiator movie in a special talk with Esquire.
The actor from Ireland who was in ‘Normal People’ is going to be in a big movie with Pedro Pascal Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen. Ridley Scott the director made this movie that a lot of people are excited about.
Paul Mescal candidly admitted to feeling jittery during his initial interaction with co-star Pedro Pascal. Before filming commenced Mescal encountered Pascal at LAX airport a moment that he described as nerve-wracking.
Surprisingly Pascal approached Paul Mescal leaving a genuine impression. Mescal shared “He just seemed so genuine; I’m really looking forward to hanging out with him.”
In the Gladiator sequel, Mescal steps into the shoes of adult Lucius a character previously portrayed in his youth by Joaquin Phoenix. Remarkably Mescal didn’t audition for the role but engaged in a discussion with acclaimed director Ridley Scott who delineated the story’s parameters. Production encountered a pause due to ongoing dual strikes but Scott had already made significant progress before the interruption.
Paul Mescal conscious of spoilers refrained from disclosing substantial details about the sequel. Expressing his excitement and stress he said “I can’t tell you how stressed I am talking about that film in particular because it’s definitely the biggest one I’ve done.”
Despite this, he believes in the movie’s potential to honor the original while allowing him to infuse his unique essence into the character.
Interestingly Mescal admitted he hadn’t conversed with Russell Crowe the original Gladiator star. Explaining his hesitation he mentioned, “I’d love to hear his stories from filming but the character is totally separate.”
When questioned about the potential physical transformation for the role Paul Mescal emphasized the character’s essence over superficial aspects asserting “This guy’s got to fight and got to be a beast.”
Mescal said he’s proud to be part of the new movie and knows it’s a big task. He said, ‘It’s something that makes me a bit nervous, but I believe I can do it.’ Mescal also told us the movie will come out on November 24, 2024, and he’ll be acting with Connie Nielsen, Denzel Washington, and Joseph Quinn.