Paul Mescal talks male bonding & Lucius' scent in Gladiator II

Paul Mescal is absolutely keeping us entertained.

The 28-year-old Irish actor, who graced a digital cover of Out earlier this year alongside his All of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott, is making the transition from indie darling to leading box-office heartthrob this weekend with the release of Gladiator II, Ridley Scott's highly-anticipated sequel to his Best Picture-winning historical epic Gladiator.

Picking up over 16 years after the events of the first film, Gladiator II follows the story of Lucius Verus (Mescal), better known to the public as "Hanno," and his journey from enslaved gladiator fighting to avenge his slain wife to leading another revolution against the corrupt and blood-thirsty leaders of Rome.

Double the grit, grime, dirt, and sweat of the first movie, Gladiator II has a lot for fans of period epics to look forward to, and Out got the chance to chat with Mescal about starring in one of the season's biggest blockbusters.

When asked about all the male bonding going on on set, especially since Lucius is surrounded by a rugged, loyal band of gladiator misfits who are willing to fight alongside him for what is right, Mescal said that although he's not usually around a bunch of burly, built, pro fighter types of men all the time in real life, it was fun to step out of his comfort zone and act alongside his gladiator squad for the film.

"It's very different to the first film. Where Maximus is an innate leader, he's a general of Rome, Lucius is a leader of sorts in Numidia but actually has no desire to lead the men around him until the film progresses," Mescal told Out. "So we were gently trying to introduce his desire to lead."

He continued:

"A lot of those guys that we were a gladiator in the film were ex-UFC fighters and, I'd say this wholeheartedly, sometimes not generally my vibe. There was a kind of healthy friction to how I'm just not around that kind of man generally, so it was nice to be kind of thrown out of your comfort zone in that regard."

Another interesting (and kinda funky) tidbit from Gladiator II that stuck out to us was how Lucius' scent was referred to multiple times in the film, and considering the times the story takes place in, we were curious to know if Mescal could take any modern cologne/fragrance back with him to alleviate the sensory overload of the Roman Empire, what would it be?

"I'd take Le Labo Another 13," Mescal says. "Just take it straight back."

Watch Out's full interview with Paul Mescal in the video above. Gladiator II hits theaters on Friday, November 22.