When it comes to stunts, there’s a growing number of actors who are down to get their hands dirty and risk an injury or two to make things as real as possible for the overall cinematic experience. Of course,Tom Cruiseis likely the first person to come to mind for many of us, as, over his decades-spanning career, the star has jumped off mountains,zipped around on motorcycles, and even soared through the air to achieve that perfect shot - and maybe achieve a little adrenaline high. In the upcomingRidley Scottfeature,Gladiator II, leading actorPaul Mescalsays that - while he was open to many of the dangerous stunt situations - there was one in particular he wasn’t willing to back down on.
During a chat withVariety, theNormal Peopleactor spoke about how he “trained for fucking months” to hammer down one very specific stunt that hereallywanted to perform. He and the filmmaker were both very much on board with the idea. After all, Mescal says that there were plenty of other stunts in the feature that he had done. However, it sounds as though Scott began to get cold feet as the specific day of filming approached, with Mescal recalling,
“Two weeks before the scene, Ridley says, ‘You’re not fucking doing it,’ and I was like, ‘What the fuck?,’ and we had this argument.”
The reason behind Scott’s hesitancy? A bit of PTSD that he had from filming his feature-length debut, 1977’sThe Duellists. Scott told Variety that in the historical drama,Keith Carradine’s character was meant to ride a horse during one of the shots, something that the helmer was on the fence about - that is, until the last day of filming rolled around.
“And at the end of the shoot, for the very last shot, Keith [Carradine] goes, ‘Can I go ride this bloody horse then?’ Twenty minutes later, the horse ran him into a tree and he smashed his femur.”
Paul Mescal Made Ridley Scott An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse
Unable to let it go, Mescal admits that he was “pestering [Scott] constantly” about letting him try out the stunt. According to Mescal, Scott said that he wouldallow him to do the stunt- under one condition, “And then the day before, he goes, ‘OK, you can do the stunt, but if you come off, it’s two Bentleys.’” All in one piece and ready for the highly-anticipated film to arrive in cinemas later this month, Mescal said, “No Bentleys were required, thank fuck.”
Gladiator IIclashes into U.S. cinemas on November 22.
Gladiator II
Lucius Verus, the son of Maximus’s beloved Lucilla, returns to Rome after years in the wilderness. Captured by Roman forces led by General Marcus Acacius, he is thrust into the gladiatorial arena. As he battles for survival, he encounters Macrinus, a former slave-turned-merchant, and faces the corrupt twin emperors Caracalla and Geta.
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