Irish Paul Mescal, actor named wish

Who would have thought that this Irishman would be the hero of the new? Gladiator by Ridley Scott? And yet, in this much-anticipated sequel to the 2000 epic, it is this young man, born in the green County Kildare, who descends into the lion’s den. At 28, Paul Mescal crosses the skirts of his father, the unforgettable Russell Crowe Gladiator II more or less takes over the plot of the first opus twenty years later.

The playing field. Lucius (hence Paul Mescal) is the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and the late Maximus, making him the nephew of Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Captured by the Roman army, he is forced to become a gladiator… Epic battles, family betrayals, personal rivalries. Gladiator II ticks all the boxes like this. But while the main character, nearly twenty-five years ago, embodied a rather archetypal virility: brave, vengeful, testosterone-driven, Paul Mescali’s Lucius stands out for his sensitivity and vulnerability.

Even for Gladiators, times have changed. Everything first born in Hollywood in the 1990s has been approached for the role of Lucius, including Austin Butler (cf. Elvis) and Timothée Chalamet—obviously. But it seems that Paul Mescal’s nose is straight, perfect, worthy of the Emperor Hadrian, which made a difference. while watching the young actor’s film, the casting director took a screenshot of his profile to send immediately. Ridley Scott. Come, see, see.

Electrical role

In early 2023, when the cast Gladiator II it is finally announced, Paul Mescal is already a very busy man. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for The Gentleman After the sun (where he plays a young divorcee and single father), he’s rehearsingA tram named desire that he is going to perform on the London stage. The play by Tennessee Williams (1947) that launched Marlon Brando on stage, then in the cult film by Elia Kazan (1951). Stanley Kowalski’s violent, drunken but lovable character is a must-have for any actor were the memories.

For the Oscars, Mezcal will return, but his portrayal of Kowalski, ‘electric and full of sensitivity’ New York Timestempted. He sums up the character like this. “Stanley is a masculine archetype that still exists today, a raw man who truly inhabits his body; Also a smart man who has struggled to be where he is socially.A very sexualized man, finally […]”Playing a fake brute and a real sensitive man suits Mezcal well, whose natural physicality permeates all roles. Because one of the young man’s virtues, beyond his nuanced acting, is this athletic body: powerful, resilient, sensual.”

The body of the big screen

It must be said that before becoming an actor, the blue-eyed phenomenon was a Gaelic rugby champion in his hometown of Maynooth near Dublin. The son of an Irish national police officer and a school teacher, Paul Mescal was destined to pursue a professional career in the sport, a mix of rugby and football, until a broken jaw ruled otherwise. After studying drama at Trinity College Dublin, he performed in the city. where he was noticed.

It is in 2020 that his talent shines before the world. He is Connell Normal peopleseries produced by the BBC and adapted from Sally Rooney’s bestseller (broadcast on france.tv). A romance between two beings who are socially opposed but irredeemably attracted to each other. “I’m very proud of it, I couldn’t imagine playing this role without these nude scenes, it’s very important, very visceral,” he said at the time. This is where the Paul Mescal phenomenon began.

Internet users love to post screenshots of its anatomy on social networks. The chosen one is leaving social media and admits that he is worried about being so “objectified”, adding that he understands what the entertainment industry does to women. after Normal peopleMezcal chooses independent cinema. the lost daughter by Maggie Gyllenhaal (2021), Carmen, by Benjamin Millepied (2023), but above all a sentimental drama Without ever knowing usBy Andrew Hay (2024).

Mustachioed and passionate, she seduces Andrew Scott (the series’ sex priest Fleabag) – and the whole gay community. Mezcal is much more when it comes to his personal life, which he jealously guards. The latest news is that he is in a relationship with the young American singer Gracie Abrams (by the way , daughter of one of the most influential producers, JJ Abrams).

A short story

Are we talking a little too much about his muscular and hairy thighs? Paul Mescal has fun with it and adds more on set Gladiator IIhe never parted with his collection of football shorts, even wearing them for fight scene rehearsals. And last June at Milan Fashion Week, she showed up at the Gucci show in the brand’s shorts, socks and moccasins (she’s been Gucci’s muse since the arrival of new artistic director Sabato de Sarno).

The Irishman decided to make satin shorts his own fashion statement everywhere she shows off her legs electrifying social networks. So the hashtag #sluttyshorts exploded on TikTok this summer. From Paris to Berlin, the Gen Z court, hitherto reserved for members of the gay community, is breaking codes and questioning our masculinity performances like Timothée Chalamet in front of him and his red patterned shirt at the Venice Film Festival In the arena, the Gladiator is already winning…

Gladiator II, By Ridley Scott, with Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington… Released on November 13.