Paul Mescal is leading the cast of the upcoming movie Gladiator 2 and he’s opening up about why he decided to take on the role.

The 28-year-old actor has become one of the hottest rising stars thanks to his work in Normal People, Aftersun, and All of Us Strangers.

Now, Paul is working with director Ridley Scott for the sequel to the Oscar-winning movie.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Gladiator comes across your desk and there’s no way you say no to it. But with this scale of film, and to work with Ridley Scott, it’s a no-brainer. Up until this point there have been very few larger films that remotely interested me,” Paul told AnOther magazine.

He added, “It feels really right. And also there’s the capacity to learn. It’s the first time that I’ve felt a pressure of, ‘God, I’m worried about box office receipts.’ It’s a different metric. But Ridley shoots at a very different rhythm — he’s quick and it’s kinetic and wonderful. He knows exactly what he wants. It honestly reminds me of sport in a way that is really satisfying.”

Paul recently responded to viral rumors about him sprinting away from dates.