AS HE TAKES ON 'GLADIATOR' ROLE PAUL MESCAL IS LIVING HOLLYWOOD LIFE TO THE MAXIMUS

From shy, sensitive and romantic Connell in Normal People to ripped action hero Lucius in Sir Ridley Scott's hotly anticipated epic Gladiator II is quite a journey - and, says Paul Mescal, it's one that has taken him into a powerful new place.

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The actor, 28, shot to instant stardom opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones in the hit TV series in 2020. So popular was his character that Connell's silver chain had its own Instagram profile.

Since then, Co. Kildare-born Paul has played a gay lover in All of Us Strangers and a troubled young father in Aftersun, for which he gained an Academy Award nomination.

Now comes the role of a lifetime in Gladiator II, which also stars Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal and takes place 20 years after the multi-Oscar-winning original was set. Here, Paul, who plays Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe's Maximus, talks about his experiences on set.

What was the first day of filming like, Paul?

"It was me and Pedro [who plays a Roman general], and we were kept in the tents outside the city walls.

We were sitting in a tent and I was smoking a cigarette, and we were kind of marching around the place when Ridley comes in with a cigar. I was absolutely s******g myself.