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Gladiator II: Paul Mescal Recalls Ridley Scott's Very Blunt Advice

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal recalls the very blunt advice he received from director Ridley Scott when he expressed having some nerves on set.

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Article Summary

  • Paul Mescal shares Ridley Scott's blunt advice on overcoming set nerves for Gladiator II.
  • Scott's direct approach liberated Mescal, helping him focus on his Gladiator II performance.
  • Mescal acknowledges Gladiator II's pressures, opting not to mimic Russell Crowe's iconic role.
  • The sequel carves its own path, building only subtly on Gladiator's legacy.

There will always be a certain level of trepidation for any actors when they step onto a massive set with one of the best directors of their generation. It doesn't matter how long you've been in the business; that sort of thing can take you by surprise and be intimidating. It wasn't any different for Paul Mescal when he walked onto the massive set of Gladiator II. The film already had a lot of pressure on it as the follow-up to someone so beloved, but Ridley Scott enjoys practical sets, so you know you're walking into something real when you are an actor in one of his movies. Mescal recently told Total Film that he was a little overwhelmed when he got to the set in Morocco, but Scott came to him with some very blunt advice that he took to heart.

"I think the very first day, and just coming out and there being a couple of hundred to a thousand SAs [supporting artists/extras], with fires burning, and the walls of Morocco, I was like, 'Ooh – this is fucking big,'" Mescal said. "But… the first thing [Ridley] said before filming was, 'Your nerves are no fucking good to me.' Which is Ridley in a nutshell, but it's the perfect thing to say, because it's so liberating. He's totally right."

Mescal is also aware of the legacy of the first film. Still, Gladiator II is one of those films that is linked in subtle ways, and, for him, studying anything that former star Russell Crowe might have done with his infamous performance wasn't really helpful because they were playing very different people. "I think the legacy he's left with that first film is extraordinary. I think I was consciously trying to get out of my head, like, the projections that people might have of what this film means," Mescal said. "I didn't watch it after I was cast, and then watched it on New Year's Day with my friends, which was amazing… And there's nothing really to be gained [by studying it in preparation] as it's a different character." This is the right way to approach this film because this movie already has a lot going against it. People are already wondering why it needs to exist at all, so if Gladiator II tried to be a soft reboot or remake of the first film, it wouldn't work. It has to be something that is only barely informed from the first film. However, we haven't seen it yet, and there is a chance audiences could reject it wholesale — stranger things have happened this year.

Gladiator II: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, and Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington. It will be released on November 22, 2024.

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Kaitlyn BoothAbout Kaitlyn Booth

Kaitlyn is the Editor-in-Chief at Bleeding Cool. Film critic and pop culture writer since 2013. Ace. Leftist. Nerd. Feminist. Writer. Replicant Translator. Cinephillic Virtue Signaler. She/Her. UFCA/GALECA Member. 🍅 Approved. Follow her Threads, Instagram, and Twitter @katiesmovies.
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