‘I’d rather get thrown off the building than fight him again’: Pedro Pascal scared after clash with Gladiator 2 star

Pedro Pascal was impressed by his on-screen partner Paul Mescal’s transformation for Gladiator II, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2000 cult film, still directed by Ridley Scott.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, he came to talk scenes between his character, Marcus Acacius Paul MescalLucius Verus, sequences that were “cruel“Turn around.

“I call him Paul Kadell,” Pascal, 49, said of the 28-year-old mezcal. “He became so powerful. I’d rather be kicked out of the building than fight him again. It’s crazy to compete against someone so athletic, talented and so much younger than me. Beyond the genius of Ridley Scott, playing Paul is one of the reasons I agreed to put my poor body through all of this.“

Paul MescalMeanwhile, she previously admitted she was nervous about meeting The Last Of Us star, telling Esquire last year that she had “Too afraid to come closeThe actor after the meeting. fortunately Pedro PascalHe was not shy and approached the young actor when they met him at the Los Angeles airport.

“It came and it seemed so real“, he said Paul Mescaland added that he had “Really looking forward to spending time with you“With Pedro Pascal.

In Gladiator II, Paul Mescal Starring as Lucius, son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of the fearsome Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who grew up idolizing Maximus (Russell Crowe) and now fights as a gladiator. According to Vanity Fair, a new character opposite him Pedro PascalAcacius is “A Roman general who would have trained under a junior officer“Maximus.

In addition to Mezcal and Pascal, the film also stars Denzel Washington, Fred Hatchinger and Joseph Quinn – Eddie from Stranger Things, who will be reunited. Pedro Pascal In the next Fantastic Four -, too Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi, reprising their roles from the original Gladiator.

Training is focused on fight choreography

Speaking of training for the film, Paul MescalThe 2023 Oscar nominee told Vanity Fair that he focused more on fight choreography than just muscle building:I wanted to be as strong as possible, to seem like someone who can do a lot of damage when you’re looking for it. If we focus too much on the physical aspect, the risk is that we end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.“

As mentioned Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal At least he gained the muscle that finally helped him interpret it: “Muscles start to grow everywhere and may have an aesthetic aspect, but mostly the fact of gaining complete control of your body gives different results. We don’t have the same standing. It has a psychological impact that is not insignificant to the film.“

Speaking about his character, Lucius, the actor also revealed his motivations, describing him as a young man with an idea of ​​what can change society, but who must first overcome his hatred of the Empire:He wanted nothing to do with Rome. At first, his only desire is to destroy everything. The Romans were known to be very bloodthirsty. They went from continent to continent, subduing villages and entire nations. The film is silent about this violence, the central figures of which are the emperors. Lucius sees through the game of these corrupt elites, he is very shrewd and unafraid of the powerful, which makes him especially dangerous in their eyes.“

It only means good things!

Mark your calendars, Gladiator II hits theaters on November 13, 2024. Meanwhile, Gladiator (2000) finds itself streaming again on Netflix and Prime Video.