Gladiator star Paul Mescal’s Hollywood vow: ‘Will just stop’

Paul Mescal is about to become a global superstar thanks to his role in the blockbuster sequel – but he’s prepared to walk away from it all.

Gladiator 2 star Paul Mescal has revealed the circumstances under which he’ll quit appearing in Hollywood blockbusters for good.

The Irish actor, 28, admitted “I’m not going to push through that,” as he spoke to Virgin Radio UK about the pitfalls of fame – and when it all becomes too overwhelming, reports The Sun.

Mescal addressed losing his “anonymity” due to his high-profile acting career and frankly added: “If that becomes overwhelming, I will just stop making big films like this”.

It comes as the Normal People actor – who revealed he was a quivering wreck when he first met Gladiator 2 director Sir Ridley Scott – will be seen in what many have dubbed “the best movie of the year”.

Mescal, who plays Lucius, showcases his skills in epic fight scenes as he tackles giant rhinos and monkeys with his bare hands in the long-awaited movie sequel.

Mescal’s star is on the rise, thanks to Gladiator 2. Picture: Kate Green/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

With the film’s director, Ridley Scott, at the London premiere. Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Yet in an interview on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Wednesday, he was open about tackling the rocketing fame the role will provide.

“There’s enough information out there about how damaging this career can be to people’s fundamental life,” Mescal told the radio host.

“So I’m not going to take a risk if it comes to that. I’m not going to push through that.”

Earlier in the interview, host Evans asked: “You’re about to become the most famous actor in the world – for at least a few weeks – and you’ll probably become one of the most famous actors in the world for the next few years”.

“Do you make plans for that psychologically? How do you figure that out? It’s sensible to have a strategy, I would imagine. Or am I being boring?”

Mescal candidly admitted: “Not that you’re being boring, but the prospect of that is boring to me, and I’m not saying that in a kind of like self-protective way”.

He stars as the gladiator Lucius.

After Evans told him he was “measured and stable” Mescal replied; “I always laugh when people refer to me as stable because I love that I present as that”.

“I think my team would strongly disagree with you. One of the least stable people I know is myself.

“But in the sense of well, I know that … I’ve been this mental my entire life, so I know that it’s not informed by this madness. I think I’m fundamentally mad.

“But having said that, if all of this part goes away and I’m not stopped in the street, but I get to keep doing my job, I don’t care. And I mean that sincerely.

“I love this job and if the by-product of it sometimes or a symptom of it is, is that you lose a little bit of anonymity, great.

“And if that becomes overwhelming, I will just stop making big films like this and I’ll do something else as long as I can get to act.”

The actor added: “But also, I basically … I don’t have a plan because I don’t want to kind of foreshadow anything”.

Gladiator 2 is now in Australian cinemas.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.