‘Gladiator II’ Star Says Meeting King Wasn’t on His ‘List of Priorities’

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal was pretty much the opposite of starstruck when he met King Charles at the film’s London premiere, he told a Variety reporter. “I’m Irish, so it’s kind of not on the list of priorities,” he said in response to the reporter’s attempts to get him to enthuse about his meeting with the British monarch. “But it’s an amazing thing for Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him,” he added. The acclaimed English director was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2003. “To see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special,” Mescal continued. Asked what he and King Charles discussed, the 28-year-old Normal People actor admitted he had no idea. “I found it hard to hear exactly what he was saying,” he said. “Your head is in such a frenzy, so you’re just kind of nodding along and just smiling.” The film took in $87 million during its international opening over the weekend, making it Scott’s strongest opener to date, Variety reported.