Irish actor Paul Mescal shared an honest take on meeting King Charles at the Gladiator II premiere last week in London.
Mescal has earned mixed reviews for his role as Lucius Verus in the Sir Ridley Scott-directed sequel but has nonetheless hinted at the possibility of appearing in a third installment.
Last week, the King, attended the screening at the Odeon Luxe Theatre solo on the eve of his 76th birthday, and met Mescal along with the rest of the cast on the red carpet, but the encounter didn't seem to faze the actor, 28, much.
When asked by Variety’s Marc Malkin if meeting the King was a "wild" experience, the Normal People star offered a matter-of-fact response, referencing his Irish nationality.
The actor, who hails from Kildare, said: “It’s definitely not something that was on my bingo cards. I’m, like, Irish – so it’s not kind of on the list of priorities.”
Ireland endured eight centuries of political and military intervention from British rule before achieving independence in 1921 and becoming the Irish Free State in 1922. However, King Charles III remains the head of state in the six counties that make up Northern Ireland, which remains part of the UK.
Mescal offered a more diplomatic response when discussing his director, Sir Ridley Scott, calling it an "amazing thing" for the filmmaker to have the opportunity to meet the King.
He continued: “I know how important that is for him [Sir Ridley Scott]. So, to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special.”
When asked what he said to the King, the Irish star added: “I found it hard to hear exactly what was [being said]. You’re just kind of nodding along and just smiling”.
In response to the line of questioning, fans took to social media to share their reaction and brand the line of questioning “deeply inappropriate”.
One penned on X: “I genuinely think asking Irish people about the British royal family is so deeply inappropriate ngl.”
“god i love the reactions from irish actors when they make them meet the royal family,” another wrote.
A third shared: “That was diplomatic of him, considering.”
His comments come as footage shared from the royal performance saw Denzel Washington slightly flustered meeting the royal.
Paul Mescal on meeting King Charles: "I'm Irish, so it's not on the list of priorities. But it's an amazing thing for Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him." pic.twitter.com/AR60LJ0V4Z
— Variety (@Variety) November 19, 2024
When His Majesty reached Washington, the Training Day actor looked slightly flustered, admitting he was uncertain about the correct handshake etiquette with royalty.
Elsewhere, Mescal recently responded to Saoirse Ronan’s viral remark on The Graham Norton Show, where she delivered a blunt reminder about women’s safety that left other guests speechless.
During a recent appearance on Ireland's The Late Late Show, he was asked if he was taken aback by the public reaction to Ronan’s words.
“I’m not surprised that the message received as much attention that it got, because it’s massively important,” Mescal replied.
“I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show. She’s quite often, more often than not, the most intelligent person in the room.
“I think she was spot-on, hit the nail on the head, and it’s also good that messages like that are kind of gaining traction. Like, that’s a conversation that we should absolutely be having on a daily basis.”
