Gladiator sequel star Paul Mescal dons daring kilt for GQ magazine

Making his glad rags gladiatorial, Paul Mescal was clearly hoping to give his latest film a leg-up.

For the Irish actor swapped his shield for a slightly shorter number as he promoted Gladiator II.

The 28-year-old, who stars in the sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, posed in a tiny pleated kilt for a magazine photoshoot.

Mescal stars as Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe’s character from the original film.

But he told GQ magazine that he did not get in touch with Crowe for the sequel, which will be released next month, saying: “I wouldn’t know what to say.

“I think it’s also a mistake when people go, ‘This was Russell’s thing’. Russell had proven himself time and time again. And he proved himself time and time again after Gladiator. An amazing career like Russell has had wasn’t built by just Gladiator.”

Mescal, who is best known for the TV hit Normal People, also dismissed a rumour that he liked to pick up dates in north London bars and then run away from them the next morning.

He said the story, which went viral on social media, was “categorically untrue”, adding: “This is the way the internet works. If it was true, it’d be f****** bad, but as a rumour, it’s funny.”