Gladiator 2’s Paul Mescal Talks Meeting King Charles, Glicked, Drunk Karaoke trendy blogger

Paul Mescal hopes “Glicked” will be the new “Barbenheimer” by getting moviegoers to enjoy a double take of “Gladiator II” and “Wicked.”

“I think they complement each other well because they’re so different,” the Oscar-nominated actor told me at the Gladiator II premiere Monday night in Los Angeles. “And if you love cinema, go out and support it. Don’t wait for it to come to the streamer, because we’re at a critical crossroads. We have been for some time with theatrical films. If cinema is your thing, go out and see both films.”

Fred Hechinger, who plays Emperor Caracalla in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, said he plans to spend a “Glicked” day at the theater. “I love ‘punk,’” he said. “I’m going to sing the song Defying Gravity.”

Speaking of singing, Mescal and Hechinger also detailed going to a karaoke bar while promoting “Gladiator II” in Japan.

“I painted myself into a corner with this because when I was taping for Aftersun, I was like, ‘I hate karaoke.’ But I had to do it, and I enjoyed it,” Mescal said.

What song did he belt it out? “I did ‘climbing,'” he replied.

Has he reached the level of Miley Cyrus? “Of course not. I was drunk. It was amazing,” Mescal said with a laugh. “It’s not about that, it’s about the spirit.”

“I was in on that, too,” Hechinger, who also sang Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One,” said of the performance of “The Climb.” “I think karaoke is designed for people who don’t have voices. I think if you have a very good voice, it would be embarrassing for you to do karaoke.

The press tour for “Gladiator II” also included the royal premiere in London in the presence of King Charles III. “It’s definitely not something I thought was on bingo cards,” Mescal said of his interaction with the British monarch. “I’m Irish, so it’s not on the priority list. But this is amazing for Ridley (Scott) because I know how important it is to him. So to see his film celebrated in that context was very special.”

Mescal could not remember what King Charles had actually said to him. “I found it hard to hear exactly what he was saying because your head is going crazy, so you just nod and smile.”

See more photos from the “Gladiator II” premiere below.