Forget Superhero Suits, Wearing A Leather Breastplate In Gladiator II Was Pretty Dang Uncomfortable, According To Paul Mescal

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As a gamer who has braved countless virtual battlefields and endured the discomfort of controller grips during marathon sessions, I can empathize with Paul Mescal’s ordeal while filming Gladiator II. The heat, the armor, and the rhino fights – it sounds like a level on the highest difficulty setting!

I can’t help but feel exhilarated as I find myself stepping into the spotlight, ready to take on Ridley Scott’s epic sequel to ‘Gladiator’, titled ‘Gladiator II’. In this new adventure, I embody Lucius Verus, a character who finds himself in the midst of an intense Roman war. The trailer gives us a glimpse of me battling not just ordinary threats, but a fearsome rhinoceros! And let’s not forget the authentic Ancient Roman armor and battle gear that I have to don for this role.

The actor from “Normal People” showed great courage as he had candid discussions about his acting career over spicy hot wings on First We Feast. Additionally, it’s worth noting that his talent extends beyond just acting, as he bravely endured intense heat while filming battle scenes in the arena.

The intense heat was the main challenge during filming, and it felt quite extraordinary – not in a casual sense, but more like I was overheating. After several takes, particularly those involving the fight sequence with the Gladiator riding the rhino, I would come close to fainting. They would douse me with ice to cool me down, only for Ridley to ask, “Are you ready to try again?

As a resident of Florida, I can relate to the challenge of completing tasks under the sweltering sun. It’s not surprising that Paul Mescal called the Colosseum scenes in the Ridley Scott sequel the “toughest” part of filming, given that he had to endure multiple takes with ice being poured on his back during takes. This experience seemed particularly grueling, especially considering that the initial takes were already quite demanding. Mescal has stated that he will always hold a grudge against Scott for this challenging episode in his acting career.

It seems clear that the English director takes action regardless of any discomfort it might bring to his actors, a trait demonstrated by his blunt words to the actor in “Aftersun” – he stated that nerves were “no use to me” before shooting. Interestingly, Mescal revealed that this frank advice proved beneficial during filming.

Just as Evangeline Lilly from Ant-Man put it, some actors have voiced their discomfort over their superhero costumes. For instance, Zachary Levi found the Shazam! suit challenging during bathroom breaks, and Tobey Maguire felt awkward in his Spidey suit when dressing up. I can relate to their struggles with the tight leather spandex. But let’s remember, none of them have experienced wearing a leather breastplate while confronting a rhino like Paul Mescal did. He shared insights about this grueling experience:

The, like, leather [breastplates] act like little radiators. The heat is pretty extraordinary.

Experiencing the discomfort of grasping a hot car wheel is quite uncomfortable; I can only speculate how excruciating it must have been to wear scorching metal during outdoor action scenes. Nevertheless, I assume donning a fiery costume aided the Academy Award nominee in embodying Lucius’ fury and exasperation, resulting in a genuinely intense portrayal that will undoubtedly captivate viewers.

When one might assume acting in superhero costumes is tough, Paul Mescal took it up a notch by putting on a scorching hot leather chest plate during filming in sweltering conditions. Despite the intense challenge of wearing armor resembling a radiator throughout production, Mescal’s determination as an actor shines through, demonstrating his unwavering dedication. Prepare yourself to watch this new Gladiator in action when Gladiator II hits theaters on November 22nd, 2024!

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2024-11-16 04:37