Paul Mescal Didn't Want 'Gladiator II' Training to Make Him Too Sexy

Paul Mescal has been hard at working bulking up for his role in Gladiator II . The Irish actor prepared for the role by putting in lots of time at the gym to achieve the body of an ancient Roman soldier. But he didn't want to take the training too far.

Mescal opened up about his Gladiator II experience in a new interview with Vanity Fair . His priority wasn't simply to get a more chiseled look , but to physically resemble what his role required.

“I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage when s--t hits the fan,” he explained. “I think also, sometimes, one could, in striving for that perfect look, end up looking more like an underwear model than a warrior.”

Related: Video: Paul Mescal Shows Off 'Gladiator 2' Physique, Training

He confessed that how he looked in the mirror affected how he embodied his character.

" Muscles start to grow , and that can be deemed [an] aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently,” he said. "It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film."

Related: Paul Mescal Was ‘Too Afraid’ to Speak to His ‘Gladiator 2’ Costar

Mescal's co-star Pedro Pascal even gave him the nickname "Brick Wall Paul" because of his physique. "He got so strong," Pascal admitted. "I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again. To go up against somebody that fit and that talented and that much younger … It's brutal, man."

Gladiator II will be in theaters across the country on Nov. 22.