Hollywood male stars typically smash it at the gym to beef up their bod for that inevitable thirst trap sequence in drama films or to have a dominating presence in action movies.
A hardcore fitness regimen generally believed to consist of hours-long workouts every day, accompanied by a questionable diet, is the name of the game.
However, the amped-up body transformation strategy didn't apply to Paul Mescal for his starring role in Gladiator II.
The 28-year-old Irish actor, who earned critical acclaim as Connell Waldron in the 2020 drama miniseries Normal People, said he physically prepared for filming the sequel to Ridley Scott's 2000 epic historical action film Gladiator by spending "45 minutes a day" at the gym.
When the BBC interviewer was shocked to discover Mescal spent less time in the gym than was expected, the actor explained:
"This is the thing, I don't generally believe when actors say they're in the gym for three hours and eating 9,000 calories."
Mescal credited his athletic advantage to his experience as an under-21 Gaelic football player for Kildare and the Maynooth GAA club until a jaw injury changed his sports trajectory towards the dramatic arts.
He continued:
"I was lucky that I had a background in sport before we started this."
"My body—It wasn't, like, going into totally new territory."
"I'm not saying that 45 minutes was easy, I was just lucky that's, genetically or something, what was required."
You can watch a TikTok clip of the BBC interview here.
According to Mescal's trainer Tim Blakely, the actor only had 12 weeks to prepare for the role before shooting on production started.
Blakely, a former Navy man who had worked with actors John Boyega and Gerard Butler to get fit for their respective projects, said Mescal contacted him and they immediately "hit it off."
Blakely continued:
"The brief was [for Mescal] to put on size and get stronger."
"He didn’t want to go down the Marvel route of looking cartoony — we were thinking back-row rugby player type; strong, fit, fast, and agile like a decathlete."
TikTokers noted Mescal wasn't trying to build muscle mass to Thor-like proportions, and they found his modest training regimen refreshing and adequate at 45 minutes.
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Mescal's casting in Gladiator II was made official after director Ridley Scott was impressed not only by his acting but also by his lean and muscular physique, seen on stage in the West End production of the 2022 revival play A Streetcar Named Desire.
The health and fitness blog Eternobody categorized Mescal as a "hard-gainer," someone who has a more difficult time than the average person gaining muscle mass and weight, despite consistent weight training and proper nutrition.
They also typically have a fast metabolism paired with a low appetite.
@bbcnews/TikTok
To prep his physique for Gladiator II, the article surmised Mescal focused on his nutrition and recovery as equally as his workouts to achieve his warrior figure.
"It's about maintaining a daily calorie surplus of around 285 calories and clocking in a solid 8 hours of sleep every night," noted Eternobody.
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In the film, Mescal plays Lucius Verus, the son of Roman general Max played by Russell Crowe in 2000's Gladiator and rightful heir to the Empire. He is sent away to live in Numidia for protection.
When Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade Numidia and take Lucius hostage, he seeks vengeance and trains to become a gladiator under the power hungry Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who has a nefarious agenda.
Although we'll never see that kiss between Pascal and Pascal during an intense scene or Washington's gay "kiss of death"—both of which were abandoned scenes—Gladiator II is sure to have the audience's pulses racing and leave them plenty parched.
Gladiator II hits theaters this weekend on November 22.
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