Paul Mescal says he'd get 'profoundly depressed' if life changes further due to fame

The Maynooth star said he would be in a "bad spot" if Gladiator 2 means more people stop him on the street

Irish actor Paul Mescal, who stars in Gladiator 2, has said he does not know what an increased level of fame could mean (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Paul Mescal has said he'd get "profoundly depressed" if more people stopped him in the street as a result of global fame with Gladiator 2.

Mescal, who will reportedly play the lead character of Lucius, Lucilla’s grown-up son in the Gladiator sequel, told the  Sunday Times he'd be in a "bad spot" if the role affects his life in that way. 

The Olivier Award winner admitted he wasn't sure what level of fame the film will bring, and what it will mean for his life.

"Maybe that’s naive? Is it just that more people will stop you in the street?", he said. "I’d get profoundly depressed if that’s so and hope it isn’t true.

“I’ll have an answer next year, but if [Gladiator 2] impacts my life in that way, I’ll be in a bad spot. I’d have to move on and do an obtuse play nobody wants to see.”

He also said that when he meets people it is generally OK but “if someone wants to be a dick and say that they went on a date with me, it doesn’t reflect poorly on me, it reflects poorly on them”.

The comments come as rumours have spread on online social media platform TikTok from girls claiming to have been on dates with the star. 

"I don’t want to close myself off to going out and meeting someone in a bar, or getting drunk at a party," he added. 

"That would turn me into a boring human. It would be dangerous to start wrapping yourself in cotton wool and not be out in the world."

The original Gladiator film about a Roman general, called Maximus Decimus Meridius, who ends up in slavery after the murder of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, became a global hit and raised the profile of Russell Crowe.

Russell Crowe played Maximus Decimus Meridius in the original Gladiator film (Ian West/PA)

Crowe won an Oscar for the movie, which received 12 Academy Award nominations, taking home five gongs.

In Gladiator 2, Ridley Scott returns to direct and Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla alongside Mescal, with Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal also joining the cast.

Elsewhere in the interview, the Maynooth-born actor spoke about how toxic masculinity has “ruined the world”.

Asked about Andrew Tate,  the All of Us Strangers actor said: “It’s so dangerous. There is a version of masculinity that is toxic and ruined the world for the longest time and will continue to do so unless it’s put in check. Changing what it means to be a man isn’t an easy thing — there’s a lot of painful conversations to be had.”

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in All Of Us Strangers. Picture: Parisa Taghizadeh, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

The actor also said, "time and time again, men are told vulnerability is weakness and not what society requires of them." 

"It’s difficult to reach out for help.”

Mescal rose to fame for playing complex student Connell in hit BBC romantic series Normal People.

Last year, he was nominated for an Oscar and Bafta for Aftersun, about a father struggling with his mental health while on holiday with his daughter, and won an Olivier Award for a stage adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

His latest film, romantic fantasy drama All Of Us Strangers, sees him star opposite fellow Irish actor Andrew Scott.

Gladiator 2 is set for a November release.