Gladiator II star Paul Mescal said meeting King Charles III at the premiere was “not kind of on the list of priorities” during a bizarre exchange with an interviewer.
Meeting the British monarch has been an honor enjoyed by many an English actor spanning decades but less so for Irish stars for whom the history of British persecution in the name of the crown looms large.
Sometimes, however, Irish actors find themselves having to play along during small talk with smiling royals, irrespective of what their private political beliefs may be.
LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images
Mescal became the latest star to “nod along” as he met Charles at the London premiere of his new movie Gladiator II, in which he fights for his freedom from the morally corrupt emperors of Rome.
Past video footage showing fellow Irish star Cillian Murphy seemingly giving Prince Harry side-eye went repeatedly viral on social media.
Mescal was asked during a red-carpet interview published by Variety: “What was it like meeting the king, had you met him before?” and “how wild is that?”
Paul Mescal on meeting King Charles:
“I’m Irish, so it’s not on the list of priorities. But it’s an amazing thing for Ridley [Scott] because I know how important that is for him.”
(Source: @Variety)
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“Never met the king,” the actor replied. “How wild is it? I mean, it’s definitely not something that I thought was in the bingo cards. I’m, like, Irish, so it’s not kind of on the list of priorities.”
Mescal then said he was pleased Gladiator II director Ridley Scott had the privilege of royal exposure: “But it’s an amazing thing for Ridley because I know how important that is for him. So, to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special.”
It is unclear whether the interviewer fully grasped what Mescal was trying to say about his own attitude to the royals but, undeterred, he asked, “What do you say to the king?”
Mescal said: “You just kind of nod along. I found it hard to hear exactly what he was saying because your head is in such a kind of frenzy. So, you’re kind of nodding along, just smiling.”
Cillian Murphy has previously drawn attention online over footage of him appearing to give Prince Harry side-eye during a meet-and-greet at the Dunkirk world premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London on July 13, 2017.
One of a number of versions of the video to go viral was posted on TikTok in August 2023 and captioned: “I don’t know what Prince Harry did but I’m on Cillian Murphy’s side.”
Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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