Actors Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal finished rehearsing a battle scene for the upcoming Gladiator II movie and sealed it with a kiss.
Mescal, the Irish actor who turned in a beautiful performance in last year's romantic fantasy All of Us Strangers, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he planted a kiss on Pascal's forehead during an improv scene for the sequel to the 2000 Gladiator film.
The cinematic successor takes place after the events of the first film starring Russell Crowe, who played Roman general Maximus.
Mescal plays his son, Lucius Verus, the rightful heir to the Empire who is sent away to live in Numidia for protection.
When Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pascal) invade Numidia and take Lucius hostage, he seeks vengeance and trains to become a gladiator under the teaching of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who has vengeful plans of his own.
Despite Mescal's adversarial relationship with Pascal on-camera, the pair have become fast friends IRL.
Their tight bond was evidenced during the EW photo shoot, where the two kept goofing off, doing trust falls, and having staring contests with curated Roman busts acquired for the session.
Their rapport led to plenty of surprising moments during production on Gladiator II, including an impromptu smooch during rehearsals for an intense physical scene.
Mescal recalled:
"There was a moment when we were rehearsing my fight scene with Pedro, and I had an idea towards the end of the scene to kiss Pedro on the forehead."
The 28-year-old star of Hulu's Normal People recalled of the conversation he had with Ridley Scott, the director of the two Gladiator films:
"I did it in one of the takes, and then we're getting the radio messages back to Ridley...and I was like, 'Ridley: Kiss on the forehead, did you like it? Yay or nay?' "
"There was radio silence for a second. His radio crackles back, and [Ridley] goes, 'I'm afraid I did.'"
Alas, Lucius giving Acacius a peck on his forehead in the heat of their sparring didn't make the final cut.
But it's an image that will remain ingrained in the minds of blushing moviegoers.
"I think Ridley's one of the funniest men I've ever come across," said Mescal in response to the acclaimed Hollywood director indulging him for the subtly homoerotic acting choice.
Fans were getting hot and bothered over the possibility that their characters would resolve tensions lustfully.
Basically, Mescal and Pascal's chemistry is palpable.
Here is a trailer for Gladiator II.
Hopes remain high.
Gladiator II was written by David Scarpa from a story he wrote with Peter Craig.
Joining Mescal and Pascal in the cast are Connie Nielsen, who reprises Lucilla from the 2000 film, Denzel Washington, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, and Derek Jacobi, also reprising his character Senator Gracchus from the original film.
The epic historical action sequel is expected to slay at the box office upon its release on November 22 in U.S. theaters.
