Paul Mescal didn't want to be too sexy in Gladiator II.

Perhaps many of us who have huge admiration for the actor would argue that this was a losing battle from the start, but in a new interview with Vanity Fair, Mescal explained that his main goal when training for an action movie was to get stronger, not necessarily to become a muscular He explained that it was not about growing into a sex symbol.

"I just wanted to be big and strong, someone who could do a little damage when the time came," Mescal explained.

"I think sometimes the desire for the perfect look can make you more of an underwear model than a warrior.

I know exactly what he means.

This actor explained why it was especially important not to obsess over appearances during training.

"Muscles start to grow and that can be seen as a certain aesthetic. The body language becomes different. It affects you psychologically in a way that is beneficial to the film," says Mescal. "

Mezcal's co-star, Pedro Pascal, seems to have taken on the burden of this Irish actor's gym routine. 'It's cruel. I call him Brickwall Paul. He's gotten so strong. I'd rather be thrown off a building than fight him again. I'd rather be thrown off a building than fight him again, because he's so big, so talented, against such a young guy. ...... Aside from [director] Ridley [Scott] being a complete genius, Paul is a big reason why I would put my poor body through that kind of experience." [In the long-awaited sequel to 2000's "Gladiator," Mezcal and Pascal co-star with Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, and Joseph Quinn. The film is scheduled for release on November 22, 2024.