When putting together his performance for the faux ‘Gladiator II,’ megastar Paul Mescal decided it would not be in his best interest to connect with ‘Gladiator’ lead Russell Crowe. The acting by Crowe in Ridley Scott’s 2000 film was rewarded with an Oscar, making Maximus a favourite character with fans.
However, in this new movie, Paul Mescal, 28, gets the chance to portray Lucius and enter the Roman period under Ridley Scott. Paul, speaking in an interview, mentioned his ideas about the decision to work independently of Crowe. He said that he believed it essential to bring that kind of persona home and not to have the old star of the show dictate the move.
“Finally, I have to do all that entirely on my own, he said, stressing the role of personal responsibility in the performance. To this end, for Paul, the script, Ridley Scott, and the interpretation overshadowed Crowe’s prior performance of the character. “There is no excuse. But, he argued, you have to do it only with the script and the director and yourself: People never bring you anything. They [people] don’t bring you anything but the responsibility for which you have to draw on your own.
The director, Ridley Scott, also joined the debate in defense of Paul’s decision, comparing James Bond movies to ‘Gladiator.’ He said that few actors who inherit a new take on a role ever talk to the actors who played the role before them. “Why would Roger Moore call up Sean Connery [for a James Bond movie],” he said. What’s he going to do that for?” Ridley said, and as she noted, every actor has his unique vision of how they would play a character.
While Paul resolved not to be around Crowe during the shooting, he said that he would like to sit and speak with him now that the filming is over. Paul reflected on Crowe’s experience with Gladiator, saying he would love to trade war stories and talk about the different experiences each of them had in their roles.
