“I would rather be thrown off a building than have to fight him”

Valerie Macon / AFP / Amanda Edwards / Getty Images

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal are the stars of Gladiator II and tease Ridley Scott’s sequel.

In a new featurette for the film, Pascal delved into Mescal’s physical transformation for the role, why he didn’t want to fight him, and the nickname he gave him.

“It’s brutal, man. I call him Brick Wall Paul,” Pascal said. Vanity Fair“He’s gotten so strong. I’d rather be thrown off a building than have to fight him again. To face someone who’s in that shape, who’s that talented, and who’s a lot younger…”

He continued: “Apart from Ridley being an absolute genius, Paul is one of the main reasons I subjected my poor body to this experiment.”

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Mescal had to train for the fight scenes and saw some physical results, telling the publication, “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like someone who can do a little damage when the shit hits the fan. I also think that sometimes, in striving for that perfect look, you can end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.”

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THE After Sun The actor said the impact of the transformation was psychological and he channeled it into his role.

“Muscles start to grow, and that can be considered aesthetic in some cases, but feeling strong in your body causes a different feeling. You behave differently,” Mescal added. “It has a psychological impact on you in a way that is useful for the film.”

THE Gladiator The sequel takes place years after the original film and sees Mescal reprising the role of Lucius that Spencer Treat Clark played in the 2000 film. Lucius is the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and the nephew of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).