Paul Mescal has divulged how he achieved his physical transformation for Gladiator II – but added that he wasn't willing to give up alcohol or cigarettes for the role.
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The Normal People and All of Us Strangers star plays Lucius Verus, the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus, in Ridley Scott's belated sequel to his Academy Award-winning epic.
On tonight's episode of The Graham Norton Show, Mescal appears alongside Gladiator II co-star Denzel Washington to discuss the mega-budget blockbuster, including his efforts to gain muscle for the project.
"I ate a lot of chicken and lifted heavy things," the actor said. "I was working with a trainer who circled me like a shark and said, 'There is a canvas to work with'. He went to town, and I saw him every day."
Mescal continued: "It was fun. I did everything he asked but I like to drink, and I like to smoke so I drew a line in the sand where those were concerned."
He went on to detail how he came to be cast in the film, which was a less rigorous process than expected, consisting of just one 30-minute Zoom call that barely even covered the role itself.
"Ridley does not waste time," recalled Mescal. "I thought there would be camera tests and auditions, but we zoomed for half an hour, spoke for 10 mins about the part and then 20 minutes about Gaelic football, his dog, and his wife.
Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in Gladiator II from Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures
"I thought there would be more, but he called a few weeks later to offer me the part. I think he just goes by instinct on set and off and I’m very glad that’s the way it went."
Lastly, the stars addressed the enormous scope of their film – which has a reported budget of more than $300 million – with co-star Washington saying that director Scott literally "built Rome".
Mescal added: "The scale of the movie is so hard to fathom. It was insane and incredible. It was a mammoth of a film. It was so exciting, and I had to remind myself these roles don’t come along every day."
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
