Gladiator 2’s Paul Mescal on meeting King Charles, Glicked, Drunk Karaoke

Paul Mescal hopes “Glicked” is the new “Barbenheimer” by urging moviegoers to catch a double feature of “Gladiator II” and “Wicked.”

“I think they complement each other really 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, get out there and support it. Don’t wait for it to hit a streamer, because we’re at a critical juncture. We’ve been in theaters for a while. If cinema is your thing, come out and see both films.”

Fred Hechinger, who plays Emperor Caracalla in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel, said he’s planning a “Glicked” day at the theater. “I love ‘Wicked,'” he said. “I want to sing ‘Defying Gravity’.”

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

“I’ve backed myself into a corner with this because when I was doing press for ‘Aftersun,’ I was like, ‘I hate karaoke. I hate karaoke,'” Mescal said. “But I felt like doing it and I enjoyed it.”

What song did he throw out? “I did ‘The Climb,'” he replied.

Was he hitting notes on a Miley Cyrus level? “Of course not. I was drunk. It was great,” Mescal said with a laugh. “It’s not about that — it’s about the spirit.”

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

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

Mescal could not remember what King Charles actually said to him. “I had a hard time hearing exactly what he was saying because your head is in such a frenzy that you just nod along and just smile.”

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