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Paul Mescal reveals he was cast in Gladiator II after 30-minute Zoom call

Normal People and Aftersun actor to star alongside Denzel Washington in sequel to Ridley Scott blockbuster

Mescal’s appearance in Gladiator II is his first major Hollywood role after a rapid rise from his breakout performance in the 2020 BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People. Talking about how he got the role, Mescal told Norton: “Ridley does not waste time – I thought there would be camera tests and auditions, but we Zoomed for half an hour, spoke for 10 mins about the part and then 20 minutes about Gaelic football, his dog, and his wife. After his role in Normal People, Mescal starred opposite Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter, Emily Watson in God’s Creatures and won acclaim for the father-daughter drama Aftersun.

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