Paul Mescal’s Resemblance to This Acting Legend Helped Him Land ‘Gladiator II’

As soon as director Ridley Scott laid eyes on Paul Mescal, he knew he’d be perfect for the lead in Gladiator II. However, it wasn’t just his acting skills that drew Scott’s eye; it was his resemblance to Richard Harris, who starred in the 2000 original. Scott talked about Mescal’s casting in a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

In the interview, Scott notes that while he works with “very good casting directors”, he generally starts a project with a lead actor in mind. Such was the case with Gladiator II, which came about when Scott watched Mescal in his breakout TV role: “I binge TV and saw this thing, Normal People, and thought: ‘This kid is interesting,’ and, ‘**** me, he looks like Richard Harris.’ Suddenly it came together: ‘This is Lucius.’ And from that I asked him, ‘Do you want to do the film?'” Harris played Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius in the film, who was the father of Connie Nielsen‘s Lucilla; that makes him the grandfather to Mescal’s Lucius, the adult version of Lucilla’s son, who was played by Spencer Treat Clark as a child in Gladiator.

Who Was Richard Harris?

Irish actor Richard Harris played a small role in the Ireland-shot James Cagney film Shake Hands With the Devil; he subsequently moved to Hollywood where his roles grew steadily larger. After a large supporting part in Mutiny on the Bounty, he landed his first starring role in This Sporting Life as a troubled rugby player, earning him a Best Actor award at Cannes and an Oscar nomination. A number of successes followed, including A Man Called Horse, Camelot, Cromwell, and The Wild Geese. His popularity declined in the 1980s, but he returned to prominence in the next decade, with roles in The Field (which earned him his second Oscar nomination), Unforgiven, Patriot Games, and Cry, The Beloved Country. Harris’ final performances were in the first two Harry Potter films, where he played headmaster Albus Dumbledore; after Harris’ death at age 72 in 2002, the role was passed to Harris’ friend Michael Gambon. A legendary hellraiser and bon vivant as a young man, Harris gave up alcohol and drugs in his later years; he is the father of actor Jared Harris.

Gladiator II stars Mescal as Lucius, who has spent decades separated from his mother in Rome as he raised a family; however, that is cruelly stripped away from him as he is enslaved and forced to fight in the gladiatorial arena for the amusement of dual Roman emperors Geta and Caracalla (Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger). However, he may not be a mere gladiator for long, as former slave Macrinus (Denzel Washington) has designs on Rome.

Gladiator II will be unleashed on theaters on November 22, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.

Release Date

November 22, 2024

Cast

Paul Mescal , Pedro Pascal , Denzel Washington , Connie Nielsen , Joseph Quinn , Fred Hechinger , Derek Jacobi , May Calamawy , Peter Mensah , Matt Lucas , Alexander Karim , Tim McInnerny , Lee Charles , Chidi Ajufo , Alfie Tempest , Riana Duce , Chi Lewis Parry , Paul Candelent , Hadrian Howard , Alexander Simkin , Mikhail Basmadjian , Matthew Charlery-Smith , Maxime Durand , Lior Raz

Writers

David Scarpa , Peter Craig , David Franzoni

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

Character(s)

Lucius Verus , Marcus Acacius , Macrinus , Lucilla , Emperor Caracalla , Emperor Geta , Gracchus

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