Paul Mescal’s body transformation has shocked fans as they see his full buff physique in the new Gladiator 2 trailer.
Paul, 28, captured the hearts of fans with his endearing performance as Connell in Normal People in 2020.
He’s gone on to work on Aftersun and All of Us Strangers, both incredible roles that earned him plenty of accolades.
Now the actor has taken on an entirely different role that sees him step into the universe created in Ridley Scott’s iconic 2000 film, The Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe.
Although the film has not been released yet, the trailer and promo images for this upcoming blockbuster have delighted fans – and caused a bit of a stir as fans got a first glimpse at his new ripped frame.
The actor looks worlds away from his previous characters as he becomes a warrior in the film set during the Roman Empire.
Asked about his physical transformation for the role on Capital FM, Jordan North asked Paul: ‘We need to talk about the guns as well though…’
Paul laughed and replied humbly: ‘My guns…. right [laughs]’
‘I mean, was it hard, brutal, schedule or was it when you could just eat everything you wanted?’ Jordan asked.
Paul then described his intense schedule and said: ‘It’s a first-world problem. Like I had every amenity available to me. I had a great trainer. People telling me to eat, when to eat. And I think it’s just a byproduct.
‘You have to train hard to be in a film like this and I kind of loved it. Of course, it gets tiresome at certain moments.’
The actor explained that he felt getting into this shape was necessary for this role as the audience’s belief wouldn’t be suspended if he looked like ‘somebody just running around Hackney.’
‘It’s important to address the fact, you’ve got to be careful within the context of this. I had the best trainer in the world, I had the studio and production supporting me in this all and you want to provide a character and a template that allows people’s imaginations to be activated.
‘You have to make an audience believe this is somebody that would survive intense violence throughout the film and you’re not gonna survive that if you’re somebody just running around Hackney.’
Speaking to ET, the actor also commented that he didn’t want his body to look too ‘aesthetic’.
‘There was a lot of work that went into it,’ he said. ‘Lots of lifting heavy things… lots of squatting, pushing, pulling.
‘We didn’t kind of change the wheel with it, it was all kind of pretty standard in that regard, but I was keen for it not to look false or kind of overly aesthetic in any way.’
In an interview with Vanity Fair, the actor added to this aesthetic comment saying that he wasn’t aiming to look like an ‘underwear model’.
‘I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when s**t hits the fan.
‘I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.’
He also added that he carried himself differently with the added bulk. ‘Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently.
‘It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.’
Gladiator 2 is set to be released in November 2024.
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