We’re talking temperatures of up to 110 °C. That was pretty difficult for someone from Ireland like me (laughs). But the hardest scenes to shoot were not the action scenes. The scene with Lucius and his mother in the cell at the beginning of the film was something I knew we had to get right to make the rest of the film work, and also the scene with Denzel (Washington) at the end. They were both emotionally challenging.
Which one of your foes would you say was the most formidable?
The baboons are pretty scary. People keep calling them mutant monkeys, but they were actually these amazing stuntmen with kind of mini crutches on their arms simulating the movement of these savage baboons that you see in the film. We had some ex UFC fighters for some of those fight scenes. But, I have to say Pedro Pascal was pretty formidable too. Everyone knows him as the nice guy that he is, but when he turns it on, he’s scary (laughs).
How much of the incredible action in this film did you get to do yourself?
Pretty much all of it. Of course, I had an incredible stunt team to help me, but because of the way Ridley shoots, it’s kind of hard to use a double when you are being filmed at such close-quarters.
What was it like to work with a legendary director like Ridley Scott?
Amazing. I was in awe. Ridley is a master at what he does. He is the most incredible visionary director. To be on set with him, and to see what he does, was insane.
How would you say the story of this film is relevant to the world today?
Politically, I think it’s very relevant to a lot of what is going on in the Middle East, in the US and all around the world right now. It’s a case of history repeating itself over and over, and how important it is that people stand up for what they believe in, and to be brave.
Did you take any souvenirs from set?
I have a couple of the costumes I wore—one as Lucius and one Maximus. But the best thing was that Ridley gave me three pages of his hand-drawn story boards for the film as a gift, which I was blown away by. I had them framed, and they now have pride-of-place on my wall.
How do you go about choosing your roles?
Pretty simple really. If I like the script, I want to do it.
Finally, how prepared are you for the fame and adulation that Gladiator II is bringing you?
I’m not sure it’s something you can be prepared for. I’m still trying to figure it all out at this point. I feel grateful that I get to do a job that I love, even though there are some things I don’t like about it. There are negatives that come with the positives, but I have good people around me. —Asia Features
