Paul Mescal is a rising star taking on Ridley Scott’s high-budget sequel Gladiator II. Playing Lucius Verus, the sequel’s trailer shows the Irish actor in an all-out Roman war fighting a rhinoceros and other threats, all while having to wear Ancient Roman armor and battle gear. Just when we thought superhero suits were uncomfortable for actors to wear, the BAFTA winner got real about having to wear a leather breastplate in Gladiator II that was no picnic for him.
The Normal People actor was clearly brave enough to have deep talks about his acting career while eating spicy hot wings on First We Feast. There’s something else we need to give the talented actor credit for- having to stand the heat while performing battle scenes in the arena:
The big one was the heat. It sounds like very much a first world problem to be like I got [hot], but no it was a couple of takes we would do, especially around the fight that I had with the Gladiator who comes off the rhino where that was nearly getting sick after certain takes. Ice being poured down your back. Then Ridley’s like, ‘You ready to go again?’
Being a Floridian, I can understand how intense it is to take on tasks while out in the scorching heat. With ice being poured down Paul Mescal’s back during takes, it’s no wonder he described the Colosseum scenes as the most “brutal” part of shooting the Ridley Scott sequel, especially having to do take after take when the first time around seemed severe enough. Mescal said it’ll definitely be a moment that the actor will “forever be angry” at Scott for.
However, it appears that the English filmmaker believes in doing what needs to be done despite the discomfort it may cause his actors. After all, this was the same director who told the Aftersun actor that his nerves were “no fucking good to me” before filming. Truth be told, Mescal said that brutally honest piece of advice actually helped him through the duration of filming.
Like Ant-Man’s Evangeline Lily said, men are constantly complaining about their superhero suits. Those like Zachary Levi expressed discomfort about his Shazam! suit when it came to bathroom breaks, and Tobey Maguire felt uneased whenever he would put his Spidey suit on. Considering it’s tight leather spandex, I sympathize. However, can any of them say they’ve worn a leather breastplate squaring off against a rhino? Paul Mescal sure can, and he aid this about what that excruciating experience was like for him:
The, like, leather [breastplates] act like little radiators. The heat is pretty extraordinary.
Like touching the wheel of a car after it’s been out in the heat is painful enough, I can only imagine how torturous it must have felt to have to wear hot metal while shooting outdoor battle sequences. However, I’m sure wearing a burning hot costume must have helped the Oscar nominee get into character to channel Lucius’ anger and frustration, bringing out an authentically intense performance that’s sure to win audiences over.
Just when we thought actors struggled wearing superhero suits, Paul Mescal had to don a searing hot leather breastplate while filming in the blazing heat. As intense as it must have been for Mescal to wear radiator-like armor during the course of shooting, it only proves what a fiercely dedicated actor the All of Us Strangers star is. Get ready to see the Gladiator II star handle the heat with the 2024 movie release in theaters on November 22nd.