Why Paul Mescal Was ‘Too Afraid’ to Speak to His ‘Gladiator 2’ Costar

Paul Mescal revealed that he was “too nervous” to speak with his Gladiator 2 co-star Pedro Pascal before filming began.

In a recent interview with Esquire, conducted prior to the SAG/AFTRA strikes, Mescal detailed a near-encounter the two had at LAX Airport. It was just before Pascal’s involvement with Ridley Scott’s sequel was announced, and the Normal People star ultimately “was too afraid to go up to him.”

Pascal eventually noticed his co-star, though, and made the first move. Pascal “just seemed so genuine,” the Aftersun Oscar-nominee reported. “I’m really looking forward to hanging out with him” once filming on the sequel resumes.

In the follow-up to Scott’s 2000 epic, which starred Russell Crowe, Mescal plays the nephew of Commodus, the Roman Emperor played in the original film by Joaquin Phoenix. The production was about halfway done with filming when they had to pause last month for the dual strikes. Having to live with the secrets of the story that much longer is a situation that Mescal admits he is “stressed” over.

“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. I feel really excited, but, like, it’s difficult to get away from the legacy of the [first] 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.”

Gladiator 2 also stars Denzel Washington and Connie Nielsen, reprising her role from the original. It’s currently slated for a November 24, 2024 release.