Paul Mescal was cast in Gladiator II after '30-minute Zoom call'

Mescal has appeared in films and shows like Aftersun, All of Us Strangers, and Normal People.

Paul Mescal disclosed that he landed a role in Gladiator II following a half-hour Zoom conversation with director Ridley Scott.

The Irish actor will appear with Denzel Washington in the sequel to Gladiator, which came out in 2000, and is scheduled for release next month.

In an interview with Graham Norton for the BBC, Mescal humorously mentioned, "Ridley doesn’t dawdle."

I expected there would be some camera tests and auditions, but instead, we ended up having a 30-minute Zoom call. We spent the first 10 minutes discussing the role, followed by 20 minutes chatting about Gaelic football, his dog, and his wife.

Mescal humorously mentioned that he had a personal trainer for the role, describing him as someone who "would circle around me like a shark."

Mescal went on to say, "I expected to hear more about it, but a few weeks later, he reached out to offer me the role."

"I believe he relies on his intuition both while filming and in his personal life, and I'm really pleased that it turned out that way."

By the time Mescal had a conversation with Scott about the role, both the director and the film studio would have already recognized his talent as an actor, his draw at the box office, and his appeal to awards committees.

The actor gained widespread recognition in 2020 thanks to the BBC's adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel, Normal People, which quickly became a popular show during the early days of the lockdown.

He later featured in films like All of Us Strangers, Foe, and The Lost Daughter, and received an Oscar nomination for his role in Aftersun in 2022.

Denzel Washington portrays Macrinus, a rich weapons trader and ex-gladiator who schemes to take over Rome.

In Gladiator II, Mescal takes on the role of the emperor of Rome's grandson, a character originally portrayed by Richard Harris in the first movie.

In Mescal's story, Lucius becomes enslaved after Roman soldiers invade, and he is compelled to battle as a gladiator in the Colosseum in an effort to bring back the honor of Rome.

When asked about how he prepared for the role, Mescal responded, "I focused on eating plenty of chicken and doing strength training with heavy weights."

"I was training with a coach who constantly observed me, almost like a shark circling its prey. He really put me through my paces, and I met with him daily. It was an enjoyable experience."

One of Norton's guests, Eddie Redmayne, shared his experiences with the physical training for The Day of the Jackal. He playfully remarked, "I strongly disagree with Paul - it wasn't enjoyable at all, it was terrible."

The first Gladiator film grossed $465 million (£358 million) worldwide and received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe.

Mescal's talk on The Graham Norton Show is set to air on Friday at 10:40 PM on BBC One and iPlayer.