Paul Mescal Worried He Would Look “More Like an Underwear Model Than a Warrior” After Transforming His Body for ‘Gladiator 2’.
The 28-year-old actor landed the starring role in the sequel to Sir Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning 2000 epic and he decided to buff up because he wanted to look “big and strong” to play Lucius Verus in Ancient Rome – but he insists he wanted his muscles to be more than just aesthetic.
“I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when s*** hits the fan. I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior,” Mescal told Vanity Fair magazine.
He emphasized that the goal was not to achieve a perfect physique, but rather to embody the strength and presence of a warrior. “Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently. It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film,” Mescal explained.
Mescal’s ripped new body earned him the nickname “Brick Wall Paul” from his co-star Pedro Pascal, who admits their fight scenes were pretty daunting. “I call him Brick Wall Paul. He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger,” Pascal told Vanity Fair.
The transformation was a significant undertaking for Mescal, who said the ‘Gladiator’ sequel was the first big film he was really interested in signing up for after shooting to fame in the hit TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’. He felt the pressure to ensure the movie is a box office hit, explaining: “This is the first time I’ve felt concerned about something like box office performance – a completely new kind of pressure for me.”
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