Paul Mescal bewitched us all with his character in Normal People, but it was only the warm-up for what was to come, because now he’s the lead in Gladiator II, and he has the physique to prove it. His assets were highlighted by his most recent photoshoot, in which he sports a vintage kilt that makes us all swoon.
Mescal seems to be the gift that keeps on giving, because the Irish actor slowly got under our skin in just a couple of years, making his way up to the new set of A-listers and taking custody of our hearts indefinitely.
The star of The Lost Daughter will take the lead in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, and the actor understood that he can combine a serious action film with a series of thirst traps through his GQ cover, as all the pictures are enough to get fans’ pulses racing. The actor used to play Gaelic football when he was younger, but his physical transformation for the role is nothing short of impressive, and thanks to that, we’re getting these sigh-worthy shots.
Paul Mescal is Gladiator-ready with these almost- NSFW pics
The actor took the cover in a two-piece leather Gucci set, which highlights his strong gams courtesy of the very important, yet often skipped leg days. His cover attracted a lot of interest, and not just because of the Gucci leather tank top and shorts combination, but — ahem —how he wears them. While the cover is spicy enough, especially thanks to the Artemas Quibble belt, there is another photo that got fans quite bothered.
The photo has Mescal holding onto a rail, leaning back while wearing a short-sleeve Versace sweater, paired with a vintage kilt and leather boots. Few men can successfully look as manly and powerful when donning a kilt, and Mescal is one of them. The pic isn’t even from the set of Gladiator II, yet it proves he’s more than ready to tackle anyone in the arena, and we won’t mind the brutal fight between him and Pedro “Papa” Pescal.
The GQ photoshoot is everyone’s Roman Empire now, and here are more snippets from more snaps of him wearing fitted leather outfits that make me wonder whether summer is back because wow, is it hot in here?
Mescal has previously made everyone thank the universe for his devotion to short shorts. He previously told GQ, he’s “a fan of the short inseam,” adding that, “from my eye, it’s to do with proportion; a shorter short with maybe a longer top. I’m a big advocate for men wearing shorter shorts.” And as good as he looks as the King of Short Shorts, the vintage kilt is here to give them a run for their money.
Not only can Mescal act (he’s merely 28 years old and has already received a Best Leading Actor Oscar nom for his work in 2023’s Aftersun), but he is leading man material, and his accolades prove that.
Mescal clarified a “funny” yet important rumor about himself — that he would find ways to drop his one-night stands by running in the next direction. The rumor started last year, mostly on TikTok, and Mescal found it hilarious. “We were looking at the videos and we were pissing ourselves at it. Categorically untrue. And we were laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing.” We’re happy to hear he doesn’t ghost his conquests.
As for his professional career that has nothing to do with short shorts and kilts, he understands the impact Gladiator II will have on his life moving forward after the sequel’s premiere on Nov. 15, and he also knows what kind of films he wants to do next. He explained that he hopes to have “a De Niro–Scorsese relationship” with Aftersun’s Charlotte Wells, and addressed the Beatles biopic rumors about him playing Sir Paul McCartney: “I would love to be involved, but there’s nothing set in stone.” We’ll take Paul Mescal’s Paul McCartney if it gave us more photoshoots like this one, even if it only includes a series of fitted suits.