Paul Mescal, Gracie Abrams and the rise of Hollywood's 'new power couple': He's battled inner demons for years but now the Gladiator II star is about to take the world by storm

When Hollywood is poised to move you into nan astir marketable character connected nan planet, it's very unwise to person a photograph of yourself published successful mass-circulation newspapers supra stories describing you 'sniffing a suspicious constituent from a cardinal during a chaotic play astatine Glastonbury'.

But Paul Mescal, whose swords 'n' sandals movie Gladiator II is group to make him an world action-adventure star, apparently didn't look to care.

The Irish character had been caught connected video dipping a cardinal into a integrative container to scoop nan powder-like worldly to his nostril while dancing to nan American set The National's late-night set.

Yet contempt fears he whitethorn harm container agency takings by earning a fishy reputation, it's a motion of nan movie industry's infatuation pinch nan 28-year-old that this seems to person been swiftly forgiven.

'Gladiator II is going to return Mescal into nan stratosphere,' says a elder Los Angeles workplace executive. He described arsenic 'terrific' nan sequel to nan Russell Crowe classical astir a erstwhile Roman wide exacting vengeance against nan corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.

Coming 24 years aft nan original Gladiator propelled Crowe to a sparkling billing – not to mention a champion character Oscar – early screenings of nan sequel person earned rave reviews.

'It is amended than anyone could person hoped for, and its reception has been 100 per cent positive,' nan executive added.

The film's hotly anticipated trailer, released past week and already garnering a grounds 180million views, shows nan Colosseum successful Rome flooded to shape a naval conflict betwixt gladiators and slaves arsenic sharks circle beneath. In another, Mescal's characteristic faces a charging rhino.

It is simply a striking opposition from his breakthrough domiciled playing a pasty-faced, indecisive person other Daisy Edgar-Jones successful nan BBC's Normal People. His characteristic Lucius is simply a bronzed, battle-hardened warrior pinch bosom sheet and rippling muscles.

Lucius is nan nephew of Roman Emperor Commodus, seen successful nan original movie arsenic a child. Sent for his ain protection to North Africa, he finds himself dragged backmost to Rome arsenic a gladiator.

'Russell Crowe is simply a difficult enactment to follow, but Paul much than fills his shoes,' says nan workplace executive. 'He's a revelation successful this film. Most group successful Hollywood thought of him arsenic a romanticist lead, somewhat effete, but this capacity turns him into a bona fide action leader who tin transportation a blockbuster.'

Mescal dominates nan screen, contempt sharing it pinch heavyweight co-stars including Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Derek Jacobi, says nan executive.

'He's mesmerising. Men will emotion his characteristic and truthful will women. He's pumped up and macho but his Normal People sensitivity comes to nan aboveground successful nan affectional scenes.'

A root who worked connected Gladiator II, which returned to Malta wherever nan first movie was mostly shot, said unit members were 'blown away' by his physicality.

Despite having stunt doubles connected set, 'Paul insisted connected doing nan conflict scenes himself, moreover erstwhile we were filming underwater,' added nan source.

'In different scenes location were pyrotechnic explosions going disconnected everyplace and he was successful nan mediate of it all.'

'I conscionable wanted to beryllium large and beardown and look for illustration personification who tin origin a spot of harm erstwhile nan s*** hits nan fan,' Mescal told Vanity Fair of nan weight-training he did to hole for nan role, insisting that he was not trying to go a activity symbol. 

'One could, successful striving for that cleanable look, extremity up looking much for illustration an underwear exemplary than a warrior.'

The movie opens successful cinemas successful November – nan aforesaid clip arsenic nan movie philharmonic Wicked opens, inviting comparisons pinch past year's 'Barbenheimer' arena erstwhile Barbie and Oppenheimer went head-to-head and proved a immense double deed for nan industry. 

Portmanteaus are already circulating for November's dual billing, including nan little than catchy 'Wickiator', aliases 'Glicked' arsenic Mescal himself has suggested.

'The first Gladiator took $500 cardinal astatine nan container office,' says nan root connected set, 'and everyone thinks this 1 should do double that.'

For Mescal, Gladiator II could beryllium life-changing. 'He's being sent each basking book successful Hollywood,' says 1 executive. 'Everything from Marvel franchises to nan book of nan caller Bee Gees biopic – offering him nan chance to play whichever 1 he wants.'

He is understood to person been house-hunting successful nan Hollywood Hills, though wished to support nan UK arsenic his base.

'The slightest magnitude of clip that I tin walk there, nan amended for my soul,' nan character said of Tinseltown precocious – a position he whitethorn beryllium forced to reconsider.

Yet he already finds himself portion of a Hollywood powerfulness couple, romantically linked pinch American vocalist Gracie Abrams, 24, who was 1 of nan opening acts connected vocalist Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. The mates dined precocious astatine Brat, a Michelin-starred edifice successful London's Shoreditch.

Gracie's father, J. J. Abrams, who directed films successful nan Star Wars, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible franchises, could beryllium a valuable ally. But nan County Kildare-born character has been speedy to gain a estimation arsenic a heartbreaker. 

He's attracted nan liking of recently azygous divorcee Natalie Portman, and Ayo Edebiri from nan TV show The Bear. Both person been seen cosying up to him successful caller months. Australian character Sophie Wilde was besides pinch Mescal astatine nan Bafta awards successful February. 

He has antecedently dated vocalist Phoebe Bridgers and was spotted sharing a java pinch Angelina Jolie successful London past year.

He longs to correct each nan gossip, but admits: 'I don't deliberation that's a very wise point to do. But nan enticement still exists, to beryllium like, 'Shut nan f*** up. This is my life. This is what's going on. Or this is what's not going on.' '

Mescal is good alert of nan soul demons that thrust him: puerility financial anxieties, pubescent inadequacy, an actor's insecurity, his mother's bony marrow crab conflict – she was diagnosed successful 2022 pinch aggregate myeloma – and an addiction to cigarettes.

'I've been capable to springiness up smoking for periods of time. But I'm ever looking for an excuse to commencement again,' he admits.

It's been a whirlwind emergence for nan lad from Maynooth, County Kildare, nan eldest of 3 children whose begetter was a teacher/semi-professional character and his mother a constabulary officer. 

'I retrieve increasing up being anxious astir nan financial authorities of my family,' he has confessed. Nor was he a teen heart- throb astatine school. 'You're going done puberty, spotty,' he recalls. 'I felt my hands were excessively large for my body.'

He played Gaelic shot until a jaw wounded ended pro ambitions, and he made his shape debut astatine 16 playing nan lead successful a schoolhouse adjustment of The Phantom Of The Opera. The domiciled gave him nan acting bug and he studied play astatine Trinity College Dublin, graduating successful 2017.

The London shape followed, but Mescal had his tv breakthrough successful 2020 successful Normal People, winning nan Bafta champion character award. He launched into movies successful Maggie Gyllenhaal's 2021 The Lost Daughter, and nan pursuing twelvemonth had 2 films debut astatine nan Cannes Film Festival – God's Creatures and Aftersun.

He loathes societal media and nan measurement Hollywood casting board progressively delegate roles based connected an actor's online following.

'That sent shivers up my spine,' he's said. 'I don't deliberation that's existent of nan projects that I've done, but I don't for illustration that trajectory.'

Indeed, he deleted his Instagram relationship pinch its 250,000 followers past year, turning it into a backstage relationship for friends only.

Mescal's top plus is not his looks but his affectional vulnerability. Remarkably, head Ridley Scott offered him nan lead domiciled successful Gladiator II aft only a 25-minute chat, without a surface trial aliases audition. 

Scott, 86, recalled watching Normal People – 'not really my benignant of TV show,' he admits – and being captivated by Mescal's presence, exclaiming 'who's this guy?'. They spent conscionable 15 minutes talking astir nan film, and different 10 discussing Gaelic football.

'He was a typical find... perfectly perfect,' nan head told Vanity Fair. In January, Mescal was downbeat connected nan aggravated fame that nan movie will bring. 'Is it conscionable that much group will extremity you successful nan street? I'd get profoundly depressed if that's so.'

But spending life roped disconnected from position successful VIP lounges isn't for him. He would 'just get excessively bored' he said, adding he didn't want to extremity 'going retired aliases gathering personification successful a barroom aliases getting drunk astatine a party'. His Glastonbury section will not person troubled Scott, who has worked pinch galore hellraisers, not slightest Richard Harris and Oliver Reed, some stars of Gladiator.

Indeed nan occurrence of Gladiator II will dishonesty successful really audiences reply nan mobility erstwhile shouted by Russell Crowe's gladiator aft dispatching a rival successful a blood-soaked arena: 'Are you not entertained?'