There's a Reason Pedro Pascal Calls Paul Mescal 'Brick Wall Paul'

It’s always nice to hear that actors got along well while filming a big movie. Most of the members of the eponymous Fellowship got matching tattoos after filming The Lord Of The Rings. Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly are still great friends after appearing together in the 1996 Wachowskis Sisters film Bound. Donald Faison and Zach Braff have turned their Scrubs-created friendship into more T-Mobile commercials than I thought could exist. We like to see that actors can connect like people, especially if those two actors are smokin’ hot.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal are what the children would call “swoon-worthy.” (Kids say that, right?) Both actors are full-blown heartthrobs, who also deliver meaningful and heartfelt performances. Mescal moved audiences with his performances in Aftersun and All Of Us Strangers. Pascal, a veteran with decades of experience, finally exploded with appearances on Game Of Thrones and continued to become a fan-favorite in shows like The Mandalorian and The Last Of Us.

Now, Mescal and Pascal will both appear in the upcoming sequel to Gladiator, aptly titled Gladiator II. The sequel will also feature Connie Nielson, Joseph Quinn, and Denzel Washington! A film that seemed highly unlikely for the longest time has quickly become one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Vanity Fair released photos, giving a glimpse of the actors in the upcoming Ridley Scott film, and to put it bluntly, Mescal looks yolked (kids definitely say that). Pascal says that is no illusion.

While speaking with Vanity Fair, Pascal reflected on filming his scenes with Paul, which include a fight scene. The Wonder Woman 84 star said, “It’s brutal, man. I call him Brick Wall Paul. He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger ….” Pascal then cited Mescal as a source of motivation for the film, saying, “Outside of Ridley being a total genius, Paul is a big reason as to why I would put my poor body through that experience.”

The bulking-up was intentional on Mescal’s part. As he explains to Vanity Fair, “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when shit hits the fan. I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.” I think it’s safe to say that Mescal will take his heartthrob status to new heights with the release of this film. So will Denzel, but that happens anytime Denzel is in anything.