Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal has discussed the anxiety and panic he felt on set during the early days of filming the new Gladiator film.
The Irish actor, 27, will star in the sequel to Ridley Scott's original epic, which so far has not been given an official title but is slated for a 2024 release.
He will reportedly play the lead character of Lucius, the grown-up son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen, who starred in the 2000 film alongside Russell Crowe in his role as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius.
Mescal, from Maynooth, Co Kildare, stars on the cover of the Autumn 2023 issue of Esquire UK and told the magazine: "I can’t tell you how stressed I am talking about that film in particular, because it’s definitely the biggest one I’ve done."
He continued: "I feel really excited but it’s difficult to get away from the legacy of the film a bit.
"I think it’s really well written and it pays homage to the first one, but it’s very much something that I think I can step into and make comfortably my own."
Speaking about the "anxiety of a new film set", Mescal said, "It's the worst feeling! You fly to a new country and figure out who’s there, and then you panic in your bedroom about being social, and then you kind of let that go.
"I tend to hang out by myself for a bit until I get my feet on the ground with the work itself. I think that’s the best way to do it, rather than force intimacy that doesn’t exist yet."
Ridley Scott will return to direct the Gladiator sequel. The first film won five Oscars including best picture and best actor for lead star Crowe.
Mescal said of Crowe: "I'd love to hear his stories from filming, but the character is totally separate."
The Last Of Us star Pedro Pascal, Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn and actress Nielsen are all reported to be among the cast for the second Gladiator instalment.
The Autumn issue of Esquire UK is on sale from August 24.
Meanwhile, Mescal is among the famous faces that have been nominated for the 2023 Stage Debut Awards in the UK.
He is nominated alongside former Strictly Come Dancing champion, Rose Ayling-Ellis in the Best West End Debut Performer category later this year.
The annual awards ceremony celebrates the best emerging theatre talent in the UK, featuring performers to composers, and designers through to writers, lyricists, and directors across eight categories.
Mescal earned a nod for his debut West End performance in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Phoenix Theatre.
He previously won Best Actor at the Olivier Awards for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in the revival of Tennessee Williams' drama.
Former EastEnders star Ayling-Ellis is nominated for her performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace.
Mescal and Ayling-Ellis are joined in the category by Emily Fairn, Mike Faist, Kyle Ramar Freeman, Gabriel Howell, Zachary Quinto, and Samira Wiley.
The winners will be announced on 1 October 2023.
Source: Press Association
