Paul Mescal couldn’t resist saying yes to Gladiator 2.

After making his name in projects such as Normal People, Aftersun and All of Us Strangers, the Irish actor will make his blockbuster debut in Ridley Scott’s upcoming sequel.

In a conversation with his All of Us Strangers director Andrew Haigh for AnOther magazine, Mescal explained that the epic drama was the first big studio project that excited him.

“Gladiator comes across your desk and there’s no way you say no to it,” he shared. “But with this scale of film, and to work with Ridley Scott, it’s a no-brainer. Up until this point there have been very few larger films that remotely interested me… It feels really right. And also there’s the capacity to learn.”

Noting that he liked Scott’s “satisfying” way of filmmaking, Mescal added, “Ridley shoots at a very different rhythm – he’s quick and it’s kinetic and wonderful. He knows exactly what he wants.”

However, with such a big movie resting on his shoulders, the 28-year-old has become concerned about commercial performance for the first time.

“It’s the first time that I’ve felt a pressure of, ‘God, I’m worried about box office receipts.’ It’s a different metric,” he shared.

In previous interviews, the Oscar-nominated actor also expressed concern about his level of fame changing with the film, which recently wrapped production.

Set 15 years after the events of 2000’s Gladiator, the sequel stars Mescal as Lucius, the son of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla. It is due to be released in November.

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