The first image (released by Vanity Fair) of the actor Paul Mescal in the sequel arena of “The Gladiator 2”set 30 years after the events of the original, is one of the most anticipated of the year. Even if he is tight-lipped and can’t reveal anything. The film, due out in the fall, sees him take over from Russell Crowe, who in the meantime is treating himself to an Italian concert tour. The 28-year-old Irishman, unknown until four years ago, when he shot the series “Normal People”, will face Pedro Pascal in the arena. He has received awards and acclaim thanks to two emotionally powerful indie films, “After Sun” and “Strangers”, as he told the international press. Director Ridley Scott saw him in the series and then live, in London, in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and had no doubts that he was the protagonist he was looking for. His character, Lucio Vero, is Lucinda’s son (therefore nephew of Commodus/Joaquin Phoenix). The boy is sent to Africa by his mother to protect him from the Emperor Caracalla (Joseph Quinn of “Stranger Things”).
“Gladiator” is an epic tale. How can you make the story close to what the audience experiences on a daily basis?
«The key to understanding a blockbuster and an indie film remains the same: to propose characters you can identify with, regardless of the circumstances».
How do you prepare to get into the mood of the character?
«I listen to music from other times, I try to get in tune with the sensibility of the film’s era».
How do you handle the pressure of living up to such an ambitious project?
“It’s scary, of course, so the challenge is all on a mental level, I try to remember that for the public it’s a very important story.”
How did your career start?
“At the beginning it was a game for me, I never thought it would become a job. I did pantomimes with dad, I liked them and I continued, naturally. He instead acted in plays at an almost professional level so the approach was different.”
What weighs on you the most today?
“Staying away from my family. Luckily there is Facetime and we call each other, we see each other, we share our daily lives.”
Do you consider yourself a digital nomad?
«Something like that, always with a suitcase in hand, between hotels and sets. But I don’t need to be tied to a physical place to be happy. “Home” is an emotional concept if it’s filled with people you care about, in the case of the set it’s the cast and crew».
Is his family jealous of him?
«No, they understand my ability to go elsewhere to discover new worlds, but whenever I can I make time for them».
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