Paul Mescal Won ‘Gladiator II’ Role “With One 30-Minute Zoom Call With Ridley Scott”

Paul Mescal has revealed that he won his role in Gladiator II after one 30-minute Zoom call with director Ridley Scott. 

The Irish actor stars alongside Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen in the sequel to Scott’s 2000 Gladiator, due for release in November. 

Mescal spoke about his brief audition process during an interview with the BBC’s Graham Norton, when he said: “Ridley does not waste time.”

“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.”

Mescal continued: “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.”

Mescal’s star has risen since his breakthrough role in 2020 BBC drama Normal People, in which he co-starred alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel. 

Since then, he has been Oscar-nominated for his role in Aftersun (2022), and has also appeared in All of Us Strangers, Foe and The Lost Daughter.