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Something tells me you’re not alone on this one, Paul.
Like many Irishmen before him, Paul Mescal isn’t afraid to share his honest thoughts when it comes to the British monarchy.
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For some context, the Royals showed up to celebrate the global premiere of Gladiator II in London’s Leicester Square last week, meaning Paul and his costars were on their best behavior for a meeting with King Charles III.
Mark Cuthbert / UK Press via Getty Images
As you may have seen, photos of Paul, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal greeting the King on the red carpet went viral, with fans making jokes about the actors’ different facial expressions during the interaction.
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Notably, many compared the look on Paul’s face to a viral video of fellow Irishman Cillian Murphy having a similar run-in with Prince Harry at the London premiere of Dunkirk back in 2017.
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And now, speaking with Variety at the LA premiere of Gladiator II last night, Paul was asked about the “wild” experience of meeting the King — prompting a frank and quintessentially Irish response.
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“How wild is it? I mean, it’s definitely not something that I thought was in the bingo cards,” he said, putting it bluntly. “I’m Irish — so it’s not kind of on the list of priorities.”
Variety / Via x.com
Despite his own indifference, Paul acknowledged that it was an “amazing thing” for the King to support the film’s British director, Ridley Scott.
“I know how important that is for him,” he said, referring to the acclaimed filmmaker. “So, to see his film celebrated in that context was pretty special.”
When asked what he and the King said to each other, Paul revealed that there wasn’t much small talk to speak of. (I don’t suppose they watched Normal People at Buckingham Palace?)
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“You just kind of nod along,” the 28-year-old said. “I found it hard to hear exactly what was [being said]... You’re just kind of nodding along and just smiling.”
Funnily enough, Denzel echoed similar thoughts about the run-in during last night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, saying that he forgot all the “rules” you must abide by when meeting a member of the British Royal family.
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“They got all these rules about you can’t be too close, let him speak first, don’t shake hands unless he shakes your hand — I forgot it all,” the Oscar-winner confessed, adding that it was “just small talk and a handshake.”
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