Gladiator II star Paul Mescal addresses viral TV blunder after Saoirse Ronan makes self-defence quip on The Graham Norton Show

Gladiator II star Paul Mescal has declared that his former co-star Saoirse Ronan “hit the nail on the head” when she addressed women’s safety as the only female among the guests on a recent episode of The Graham Norton Show.

Mescal had appeared on The Graham Norton Show with Eddie Redmayne, Denzel Washington, and Ronan on October 25.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Saoirse Ronan calls out male actors joking about self-defence practices.

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The discussion turned to Redmayne’s latest role in The Day of the Jackal, in which his character uses a phone as a weapon. Mescal and Norton began joking about the idea.

The Normal People actor laughed, “Who would actually think about that? If I was attacked, my first thought wouldn’t be, ‘phone!’”

While the rest of the panel laughed, Ronan interrupted, saying, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.”

“Am I right ladies?” she asked the audience who erupted into applause.

Her comment quickly ended the lighthearted tone and sparked widespread praise online for its blunt truth.

Paul Mescal imitates calling his mum in front of an attacker. Credit: BBC

A month on Messcal has addressed the moment and was asked if he was caught off guard by his co-star’s bold remark.

“No, I don’t think we were surprised,” the actor explained on Irish broadcaster RTE’s The Late Late Show.

He said that when you’re on a talk show, conversations often flow casually as was happening.

“But I’m not shocked it got the attention it did, because it’s such an important message,” he added.

Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan and Eddie Redmayne. Credit: BBC

Mescal also said, “I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show, and she’s usually the smartest person in the room.”

He added that Ronan’s comment was “spot on” and “hit the nail on the head”.

Ronan herself addressed the moment last month in a Virgin Radio UK interview. She said the remark wasn’t premeditated.

“I didn’t plan to make a statement,” she said on The Ryan Tubridy Show.

Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan. Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum

Ronan said the moment speaks to where society is now, and how women want to be open with men.

“But I do think there’s something really telling about the society that we’re in right now and about how open women want to be with the men in their lives.”

She encouraged people to watch the clip in full context, adding: “So many men and women that I know from all over the world have gotten in touch with me about this one comment, which is, again, I would urge people, please, please, please to watch this in context.”

Ronan and Mescal are known to be good friends, with both hailing from Ireland and working together on the 2023 film Foe.