Paul Mescal has revealed he’s ‘convinced he will not live a long life’.
The actor, 28, who is at the peak of physical fitness after training for his lead role in Gladiator II, said he has a ‘gut feeling’ he will die young, in a frank interview.
‘I’ve always been convinced that I’m not going to live a long life. People have this response, but in my head it’s never been drastic. It’s just like a gut feeling,’ he told GQ Magazine.
‘Maybe it’s to do with the fact that I can’t visualise myself as an 80-year-old man. I’m also afraid of death. So I think if death was to come for me at 55, I’d be equally afraid of it as I would be at 90. I don’t believe anybody who’s like, “I’m ready for it”. I’m like, “Bulls**t!”.
Paul said he has ‘always’ thought he wouldn’t grow old but hopes he is wrong.
Paul Mescal has revealed he’s ‘convinced he will not live a long life’
The actor, 28, who is at the peak of physical fitness after training for his lead role in Gladiator II (pictured), said he has a ‘gut feeling’ he will die young in a frank interview
He added: ‘It’s always in my head. I was like, going to have a family young. I’m going to not survive a long time. Hopefully, I’m wrong. I think I will be wrong. But that’s just the truth around my brain.’
It comes after Paul revealed he ‘loved’ the training for Gladiator 2, despite how gruelling it was physically.
Due for release later this year, the Irish actor takes on the role of Roman emperor Lucius Verus, the grown-up son of Lucilla, portrayed as a child in the Oscar-winning original from 2000 starring Russell Crowe.
But the Normal People star said he couldn’t bring himself to give up drinking or smoking while working on his ripped physique for the film.
‘I was petrified that they were going to take away everything, like drinking, and I smoke. Everything fun,’ he said.
Paul went on to say he asked his fitness trainer Tim Blakeley to help him work drinking and smoking into his life alongside the rigorous training regime.
‘I very earnestly was like, “Look, Tim, I’m going to keep drinking and smoking for a little bit if I can,”‘ Paul recalled.
‘He very kindly incorporated them, not into the workout routine, but just into my life.’
Paul may have shot to fame for playing bookish Connell Waldron in Normal People back in 2020 — but audiences will see him in a whole new light during Gladiator II.
On Monday, the cast of Gladiator did a press conference at the Tokyo International Film Festival, where the film will premiere
The cast of Gladiator II posed for a photo (L-R Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Danish actress Connie Nielsen and US actor Fred Hechinger)
The actor was joined on stage by Connie
Denzel also made an appearance
Paul cut a casual figure in a black T-shirt and chinos for his appearance
The actors appeared in high spirits as they chatted about the film
Paul looked trendy as he wore a gold hoop earring in his ear
The Irish actor, who stars in the sequel of the 2000 hit movie which featured Russell Crowe, underwent a gruelling workout routine to get fit for the leading role
But the Normal People star said he couldn’t bring himself to give up drinking or smoking while working on his ripped physique for the movie
Earlier this year, footage of Paul’s Gladiator workout was widely circulated on TikTok and showed the actor doing dumbbell shoulder raises for a solid 23 seconds.
In an interview with Capital FM, Paul praised his ‘great trainer’ for helping him build his physique for the film as well as a team of nutritionists—who told him when and what to eat.
Sending a message to fans who looked up to his new build, Paul added: ‘I had the best trainer in the world, a studio and a production supporting me through it…
‘You have to make an audience believe that this is someone who would survive intensive violence throughout the film.
‘And you’re not going to survive that as someone whose running around Hackney.’
Meanwhile, the star also told Entertainment Tonight that his workouts with trainer Tim involved plenty of squatting and ‘lifting heavy things’.
During filming, the star also claimed he was told to give up running in the months leading up to filming—as his team’s focus was building muscle.
He said during a video interview, he said: ‘The closer we got to filming, I was allowed to run again.’
Paul is known to be an active individual and has been pictured jogging around London countless times over the past four years.
cOn top of this, the star previously revealed that he loves going on walks too and is a keen boxer.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .