Ridley Scott Became Interested in Paul Mescal for Gladiator II After Watching This Little-Known Drama

Summary

• A role in a romantic drama helped Paul Mescal land the part of Lucius in Gladiator II.
• The actor was a serendipitous discovery for Ridley Scott, as the director doesn't often watch such shows.
• The series in question remains little-known, despite being a massive hit in the UK and Emmy nominations in the US.

The second installment of Ridley Scott's iconic, Oscar-winning Gladiator is one of the biggest premieres of 2024. Coming twenty-four years after the premiere of the first film, it follows Paul Mescal's Lucius, the grandson of former Emperor Marcus Aurelius by his daughter Lucilla, who has been living in Numidia for the past several decades and is presumed dead by his family when he is dragged back to Rome as a slave after the conquest of the North African country.

In Ridley Scott's film, Paul Mescal plays a tough character and is involved in many fighting scenes as Lucius is forced to fight as a gladiator in a Roman arena. Needless to say, the actor shows off his muscles quite a bit in the movie. But more interesting is the fact that a romantic drama show helped Mescal land the role.

Ridley Scott Came Across Paul Mescal While Watching a TV Show

'When I watch anything, I tend to be clocking who's interesting. It's just in my DNA. And so, watching a TV show that's not really my kind of TV show almost four years ago, I said, "Who's this guy?"' Ridley Scott recently revealed how he discovered Paul Mescal on Normal People. 'He was a special find. He was absolutely perfect.'

Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal then sat down for a half-hour Zoom chat to discuss the movie, the role and the actor's background. Naturally, Mescal agreed to star in Gladiator II, which we will have to see when it hits theaters on November 22.

Normal People

Based on Sally Rooney's novel of the same name, Normal People premiered on BBC Three in 2020. The twelve-episode psychological romantic drama miniseries centered on Paul Mescal's Connell Waldron and Daisy Edgar-Jones' Marianne Sheridan, high school sweethearts who entered adulthood together. The show explored their relationship and its twists and turns during their post-high school years at Trinity College.

Normal People received critical acclaim for its acting, writing and direction. The show received three Primetime Emmy nominations, with Paul Mescal nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.

The miniseries was also a huge success with viewers, becoming BBC Three's most popular series in terms of streaming requests in the UK. In Ireland, Normal People became RTÉ's most popular drama. However, it's not as well known in the US. The show was released on Hulu, where it is still available for streaming.

Normal People has a rating of 8.4 on IMDb.

Source: Vanity Fair.