The cast of Gladiator II met King Charles at the movie's London premiere last week. However, star Paul Mescal wasn't very excited to meet the monarch, for an extremely understandable reason. Still, the Normal People actor's reaction to meeting The King is going viral.
It was previously reported that Denzel Washington allegedly told fans he "makes his own rules" when asked to meet The King. Now, Mescal has shared his own response to greeting the monarch on the red carpet.
When asked by Variety (via X) if it was "wild" to meet the British monarch, Mescal responded, "It's definitely not something that was on my bingo cards." He continued, "I'm, like, Irish—so it's not kind of on the list of priorities."
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/AR60LJ0V4ZNovember 19, 2024
While Mescal wasn't particularly enamored with King Charles, he acknowledged how special the moment was for the director of Gladiator II. "But it's an amazing thing for Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him," Mescal told Variety. "So, to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special."
As for what it was like meeting Charles in the flesh, Mescal explained, "I found it hard to hear exactly what was [being said]. You're just kind of nodding along and just smiling."
Unsurprisingly, Mescal's response generated some interest on social media, with some fans expressing bemusement regarding the question itself.
"Does the reporter asking the questions think the King is also the King of Ireland?" one user wrote on X. One person joked, "Paul Mescal was the only king there." Another individual wrote, "Paul Mescal bites his tongue clean off when asked opinion on meeting the King."
During an interview with CBS News, Mescal revealed that he got cast as the lead in Gladiator II after a 30-minute Zoom call with director Ridley Scott.
"I got a phone call and they were like, 'You're going to be in Gladiator II," he explained. "That's kind of massively life-altering news to receive."
As for working with the legendary director of movies like Alien, Blade Runner, and House of Gucci, Mescal told the outlet, "I think there's something that comes with the legacy of Ridley Scott."
And when it came to acting opposite Oscar-winner Denzel Washington, Mescal revealed, "Every scene I did with him was never how I expected it to go, which is the dream. It was very thrilling to be five feet in front of his face watching him do that."
