Paul Mescal, the 28-year-old Irish actor starring in Gladiator II, believes a specific facial feature helped him land the lead role of Lucius Verus – and it's due to an old injury. After director Sir Ridley Scott compared him to Richard Harris, who played Marcus Aurelius in the original film, Mescal explained that his nose, broken during a Gaelic football match, created the resemblance. “I think it was this,” Mescal said, touching his nose. He recounted how he was knocked unconscious when an opponent’s head hit his face, leaving a black mass under his eye. Mescal joked that he never expected this injury would eventually play a role in his casting for Gladiator II.