Pedro Pascal opens up about the 'physical' toll of Gladiator 2; 'More challenging than it's ever been for me.'

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal are gearing up for one of the most exciting projects of their career. "Gladiator 2" is the sequel to the 2004 massive blockbuster, following Russell Crowe's son, played by Mescal, as he returns to Rome as a Gladiator following the conquering of his hometown. It's directed by Ridley Scott, who also directed the original. 

© Dave Benett

Pascal plays his rival, the Roman General Marcus Acacius, who led the conquering of Numidia and took Mescal as a prisoner. In a new interview, both Mescal and Pascal discuss their experience making one of the biggest films and projects of their lives. 

Pascal called the film "the most exciting" but also the "most physical" project he's ever been involved in. At 49 years old, Pascal joked that he was feeling his age. "I'm getting up there — or, I'm not getting up there, I am up there," he said to Entertainment Weekly. "A lot of work has been really physical, and I love that, but it was more challenging than it's ever been for me."

© Aidan Monaghan

He made a joke of his younger co-star, the 28-year-old Mescal, whom he shares various fight scenes with. "The distinguishing and incomparable aspect of the whole experience would be getting my ass kicked by Paul Mescal," he said. "Elder abuse, we call it."  

Despite playing rivals in the film, the two are close friends and wanted to make their dynamic on film as layered and complex as possible. "There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead," said Mescal. "I did it in one of the takes, and then we're getting the radio messages back to Ridley and I was like, 'Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?' There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, 'I'm afraid I did.'" 

Sadly, the moment didn't make it into the final cut of the film, but hopefully, it'll be released as a behind-the-scenes clip. 

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More details about 'Gladiator 2'

"Gladiator 2" is one of the films that audiences are most excited about. Pascal, who's previously worked in huge franchises like "Game of Thrones" and "Star Wars" says that nothing could have prepared him for the "Gladiator 2" set. "Somehow, f---ing Ridley Scott surpasses all of these experiences with the most incredible set I've ever been on," he said.

 "And everyone was saying so, like department heads and people that have been on his previous sets and other big, big-ass movies. And once we were all around Rome and the Rome set pieces and all of that, we were all gobsmacked…. If anything, you had to tell the newbies this is not normal."

You can watch it in theaters this November 21st.