Paul Mescal on journey from Normal People to Gladiator II

Irish star Paul Mescal, who steps into the big arena with his headlining role in Gladiator II after breakout performances in Normal People and Aftersun, said he felt a sense of relief when he realised that the nature of his job remained the same on the Ridley Scott-directed movie, despite its scale.

The actor, 28, admitted that he initially found it difficult to wrap his head around the film, Scott’s ambitious follow-up to his 2000 classic, which won five Oscars, including best picture and best actor trophy for lead star Russell Crowe.

“It was something that was more difficult in prep to kind of wrap my head around. But once we got to work, once the camera started turning over and once we got on set, obviously, the scale of the sets are much bigger, I felt a deep sense of relief. I was like, ‘Oh, my job as an actor is the exact same’,” Mescal said.

In the movie, he stars alongside cinema veterans like Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger round out the cast of the movie.

Scott is also counted amongst the greatest and most prolific directors in Hollywood with hits such as Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Black Hawk Down, Kingdom of Heaven, American Gangster, The Martian and Napoleon to hit credit.

Asked about his experience working with two giants of Hollywood — Scott and Washington — Mescal said it was both ‘challenging and inspiring’.

“What I found so inspiring about it is that both of those men have been there and done that. They’ve reached the peaks of the industry that I adore and that there’s no loss of appetite or work ethic with them,” the actor said.

Mescal is playing the role of Lucius, the young boy who was heir to the throne in the original Gladiator and is revealed to be the son of Maximus and Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen.

Exiled at a young age, Lucius has built a family in Numidia, a Roman province on the North African coast, but when it is invaded by the Roman Empire, he becomes a gladiator at the Colosseum with hopes that he will one day avenge his family’s murder.

Gladiator II will be released in India by Paramount Pictures India on November 15 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu in 4DX and IMAX.