Paul Mescal has revealed he has won his role in the series Gladiator II after a 30-minute Zoom call with director Ridley Scott.

The Irish actor stars alongside Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Connie Nielsen in the sequel to Scott’s 2000 Gladiatorwhich will be released in November.

Mescal spoke about his short audition process during an interview with the BBC’s Graham Norton, when he said: “Ridley doesn’t waste any time.”

“I thought there would be camera tests and auditions, but we zoomed for half an hour, talked for ten minutes about the part and then twenty minutes about Gaelic football, his dog and his wife.”

Mescal continued: “I thought there would be more, but he called a few weeks later to offer me the role.

“I think he just goes by instinct, both on set and on the road, and I’m very happy that it turned out that way.”

Mescal’s star has risen since his breakout role in the 2020 BBC drama Normal peoplein which he starred alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel.

He has since been nominated for an Oscar for his role in Nazon (2022), and has also appeared in All of us strangers, Enemy And The lost daughter.