He has trained would-be assassins and raised invading hordes, Napoleonic forces and Roman regiments, but military film consultant Paul Biddiss found himself in the middle of his biggest Hollywood skirmish last month when actor Saoirse Ronan made a powerful intervention on women’s personal safety.

Ronan, a guest on Graham Norton’s BBC chat show couch, sparked a national debate about women’s safety fears when she interrupted fellow actors as they discussed techniques Biddiss had taught the casts of both. Gladiator II and the new drama series The day of the Jackal.

Paul Mescal, in theaters this weekend, starring in Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator sequel, was exchanging details of his new fighting skills with Eddie Redmayne, star of the Sky Atlantic show based on Frederick Forsyth’s thriller, when Ronan unexpectedly intervened.

Mescal asked: “Who is actually going to think about that?” When talking about using his phone as a weapon, Ronan pointed out that women do: they think every day about how to physically protect themselves.

“That’s what girls have to think about all the time,” she said. “Am I right, ladies?”

Within 24 hours, Ronan’s words had been repeated thousands of times over the airwaves and on social media.

“Saoirse was absolutely right,” Biddiss, a veteran of the Parachute Regiment, said this weekend in his first interview since the viral incident. “It was a bit of a shock to suddenly be at the center of such an important moment. Paul and Eddie were just chatting about whether anyone would ever think of using their cell phone as a weapon like I suggested.

“But, as Saoirse said then, phones, along with everything else in a handbag, are always on the mind of a woman walking alone. All these items are useful, especially a mobile phone, which is often carried in the hand.”

Redmayne, Mescal and company Gladiator co-star Denzel Washington, also a guest that night, accepted her intervention with good grace. Speaking on RTE’s this weekend The late-late showMescal supported Ronan’s opinion, saying: “Saoirse was perfect, hit the nail on the head, and it’s also good that… such messages are gaining traction, as if that’s a conversation we should absolutely have every day. .” The actor added that Ronan is “often the most intelligent person in the room.”

Biddiss was chosen to work with Scott on the highly anticipated second Gladiator film after working with him Napoleon. He was hired because of his experience dealing with large numbers of supporting artists and training film “extras” to act like military forces from different historical eras.

He spent eight months on the project. Sometimes it was necessary to work while a desert sandstorm raged around rows of new recruits equipped with masks and goggles to cover their faces. But Biddiss said she took on the toughest challenge Gladiator IIfilmed in Malta, Britain and Morocco, reproduced a particular battle scene with the Praetorian Guard.

“It was very difficult to choreograph this exercise because Ridley wanted the men to move together in a coordinated manner, which was very difficult to achieve,” he said.

Although the consultant has often worked on location and reproduced major military encounters, his expertise also includes creating the illusion of skilled arms control and espionage practices. “I notice, just like the secret services, that women are much more aware of surveillance and situations. That is necessary,” said Biddiss.

“Men are generally not like that. When you train them, their initial instincts are more predatory, causing them to miss things. As a result, women are much harder to track for professionals.”

Playing the role of a hired assassin The day of the JackalRedmayne had to learn secret techniques and during training was told to follow a fictional agent named Zara, a role played by Biddiss’ wife, Debbie. “He found it difficult. It is proof that women are much more aware and harder to follow on the street,” said Bidiss.

“Even with my knowledge of the techniques,” he added, “I would find it harder to follow a female agent.”

Biddiss also trained British actor Lashana Lynch, who starred in the latest James Bond film and plays Bianca in The day of the Jackal. She was instructed in surveillance, lock picking, close-quarters weapons training and the kind of “dirty fighting” once practiced by Special Operations Executive agents during World War II.

“During World War II, the women who worked for SOE were among the highest performing officers. There are many stories that are not yet widely known, and I would like them to come out so that these women can get the credit they deserve,” said Biddiss.

‘And today it is true that the use of a mobile phone as a weapon, which Eddie talked about with Graham Norton, is real. You can gain enough time to escape such an attacker. You can also use the screen as a mirror to look at someone you are following.”