Gladiator star Paul Mescal addresses viral talk show moment

Paul Mescal has weighed in on the moment Saoirse Ronan shut down him and other male stars during a recent talk show appearance.

Paul Mescal has addressed the moment Saoirse Ronan unexpectedly shut him – and the rest of the all-male panel – down during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

The Gladiator II star appeared on Ireland’s The Late Late Show on Friday night, where he was asked whether he’d been surprised by his Foe co-star’s now-viral remark.

“No, I don’t think we were surprised because, as you said, you’re on a talk show like this and you’re kind of just talking,” Mescal, 28, explained.

“But I’m not surprised that the message received as much attention that it got because it’s massively important.”

Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan’s exchange on The Graham Norton Show went viral.

Mescal was being interviewed by Norton alongside Eddie Redmayne, Denzel Washington and Ronan on October 25, when the conversation turned to the plot of Redmayne’s latest film, where he plays an assassin who uses his phone as a weapon.

Mescal and Norton began joking about the concept, with the Normal People actor asking: “Who is actually going to think about that? If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go, ‘phone!’”

While the rest of the panel laughed, Ronan interjected bluntly: “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.”

The remark abruptly ended the banter, and the actress was praised by many online for delivering such a brutal truth.

“I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show,” Mescal told Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty on Friday.

“And she’s quite often, if more often than not, the most intelligent person in the room.”

Mescal stars in the new Gladiator film. Picture: James Gourley/Getty Images

He was full of praise for the actress. Picture: Amy Sussman/Getty Images/AFP

The Graham Norton Show moment was no exception, according to Mescal, who said Ronan was “spot on” and “hit the nail on the head”.

The Little Women actress opened up about the moment herself last month in a Virgin Radio UK interview last month, admitting it wasn’t planned.

“It’s definitely not something that I had expected, and I didn’t necessarily set out to sort of make a splash,” she said on The Ryan Tubridy Show.

“But I do think there’s something really telling about the society that we’re in right now and about how open women want to be with the men in their lives.

“So many men and women that I know from all over the world have gotten in touch with me about this one comment, which is, again, I would urge people, please, please, please to watch this in context.”

Originally published as Gladiator star Paul Mescal addresses viral talk show moment