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Where have we seen Gladiator II's Paul Mescal before he joined the Ridley Scott sequel

Are you not entertained (again)?

Paul Mescal in Gladiator II — Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Published on Fri Jul 19 2024

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When you think of Gladiator, the first namethat inevitably comes to mind is Russell Crowe. However, seeing as his character is famously unavailable for the sequel due to being, you know, dead, we’ve got a host of new faces to be entertained by in Gladiator II. Folks like Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington are well-known to most film fans, but the actor leading the cast might be a bit more of a mystery. Who is Paul Mescal and where have we all collectively seen him before Gladiator II?

While it will be tough to replace the likes of Russell Crowe in his most iconic role, Paul Mescal has been a rising star in the acting industry for a while now. His breakout role came in the mini-series Normal People, which earned him a BAFTA TV Award and Primetime Emmy nomination. He followed that with a leading role in Aftersun, which got him both Oscar and BAFTA Film Award nominations.

Paul Mescal’s major films and TV roles include:

Connell Waldron in Normal People
Will in The Lost Daughter
Brian O’Hara in God’s Creatures
Calum Paterson in Aftersun
Aidan in Carmen
Harry in All of Us Strangers
Junior in Foe

Gladiator II represents the biggest leap into the mainstream for the young actor as he leads a star-studded cast in the highly anticipated sequel to one of the biggest movies of Ridley Scott’s career.

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