Ed Sheeran was one of the inspirations behind a key Gladiator II character, according to stars Paul Mescal and Fred Hechinger.
In a video posted by IGV Presents, Hechinger and Mescal were asked which pop stars inspired their characters. “There’s a couple,” Mescal said of Emperor Caracalla. “There [were] references to Ed Sheeran and then Sid Viscous.”
When asked if Sheeran actually inspired Caracalla, Mescal and Hechinger confirmed it. “Oh, absolutely, I would say,” Mescal confirmed.
@igvpresents Please tell me Fred and Paul actually based their characters on Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars #paulmescal #paulmescaledit #gladiator2 #gladiator #fredhechinger #fyp #edsheeran @ParamountUK @GladiatorMovie ♬ original sound – IGV Presents
Mescal also said that he based some of his performance on Bruno Mars. Hechinger also said Joseph Quinn, who plays Caracalla’s brother Geta, is “very Eminem.”
This comes after Ed Sheeran acknowledged the similarities between himself and the Gladiator II villain. He posted an image of him watching the movie and wrote, “Hang on, am I in Gladiator 2?”
What is Gladiator II about?
Gladiator II is the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 movie Gladiator. Paul Mescal stars as Lucius, a young man who is enslaved and wants to fight his way to freedom.
Aside from Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, and Fred Hechinger also star in the movie. Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi return to reprise their roles in the sequel.
So far, Gladiator II has made $449 million during its box office run. Its predecessor made $465 million worldwide during its theatrical run in 2000. The first movie also received a dozen Oscar nominations, winning five, including Best Picture.
Ed Sheeran’s 2025 tour
Currently, Sheeran is on a break from his Mathematics Tour before starting it again on January 24, 2025. He will start the year by playing in Bhutan before performing six shows in India from January 3030 to February 15.
Sheeran will then visit the Middle East for a couple of shows before embarking on another European leg of the tour. He will play shows throughout the summer and into the fall. The Mathematics Tour will conclude in Düsseldorf, Germany, on September 7.
In total, 165 shows will be played across the tour’s run, which has lasted over three years. It started on April 23, 2022, and will conclude in September 2025. He has taken it all around the world.
Believe it or not, it still isn’t his biggest tour. His previous Divide Tour only lasted two years, but he played 260 shows across 14 legs in that span.
During his ongoing tour, Sheeran has released two studio albums. First was Subtract, which ended his math symbol-themed albums. He also released Autumn Variations in September 2023.
The post How Ed Sheeran ‘absolutely’ inspired Gladiator II character appeared first on ClutchPoints.
