Turns out, Pedro Pascal found filming “Gladiator II” to be quite the challenge at his age.
“The distinguishing and incomparable aspect of the whole experience would be getting my ass kicked by Paul Mescal,” he told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Tuesday. “Elder abuse, we call it.”
“I’m getting up there — or, I’m not getting up there, I am up there,” the 49-year-old actor added. “A lot of work has been really physical, and I love that, but it was more challenging than it’s ever been for me.”
Pascal stars in the Ridley Scott-directed sequel as General Marcus Acacius, who trained under the original film’s Maximus Decimus Meridius. His co-star Mescal is Lucius Verus II, who finds out that he’s the son of Maximus (portrayed by Russell Crowe in the first movie) and not Lucius Verus I.
The stars became fast friends while filming the movie. “There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead,” Mescal told the outlet. “I did it in one of the takes, and then we’re getting the radio messages back to Ridley [in video village], and I was like, ‘Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?’ There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, ‘I’m afraid I did.’”
Pascal’s Acacius is married to Lucilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius and the former wife of Lucius Verus I. He described the character as “a soldier through and through.”
“He’s also a very committed partner to [Lucilla], who is the real deserved leader,” Pascal explained. “As a soldier and as a general, he serves and protects her and her presence and her vision for a better Rome more than he does, obviously, the emperors.”
Mescal further revealed that he didn’t reach out to Crowe while filming this second movie. “I think now would be a great time to talk to him,” he noted. “The dust has settled, my job is done, and I would love to trade war stories now about what it was like making it for him and what it was like making it for me.”
The cast also includes Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz and Derek Jacobi. Scott produced the film alongside Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss and David Franzoni. Executive producers are Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, Raymond Kirk and Aidan Elliott.
Paramount will release “Gladiator II” only in theaters on Nov. 22, including in Imax and large formats.
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