The Graham Norton Show

Paul Mescal reveals he was cast in Gladiator II after just a 30-minute Zoom call, Denzel Washington talks about returning to Broadway, Saoirse Ronan admits she found some aspects of being a child actor to be hell on earth, Eddie Redmayne says getting fit to play the Jackal was horrendous, and Blossoms perform live in the studio.

Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington chat about Ridley Scott's new blockbuster Gladiator II.

Asked about the sets, Paul says, "The scale of the movie is so hard to fathom. It was insane and incredible. It was a mammoth of a film. It was so exciting, and I had to remind myself these roles don't come along every day."

Denzel adds, "It was expensive - Ridley built Rome", adding, "I had worked with Ridley before on American Gangster so when he called about this film I just said 'Yes'. He hasn't changed or mellowed since then, but I love that. He is still passionate and excited about life at the age of 86. I want to be him."

Talking about how he got the role, Paul says, "Ridley does not waste time - I thought there would be camera tests and auditions, but we zoomed for half an hour, spoke for 10 mins about the part and then 20 minutes about Gaelic football, his dog, and his wife. I thought there would be more, but he called a few weeks later to offer me the part. I think he just goes by instinct on set and off and I'm very glad that's the way it went."

Revealing how intimidated his was about first meeting Denzel, he says, "It was a big day in my life - it was amazing. I spent the first day thinking, 'I must go introduce myself to him' and I stood there for several minutes before I decide, 'Not today.' The next day I decided to be a brave boy!"

Asked how he attained his impressive gladiatorial physique, he says, "I ate a lot of chicken and lifted heavy things." I was working with a trainer who circled me like a shark and said, 'There is a canvas to work with." He went to town, and I saw him every day. It was fun. I did everything he asked but I like to drink, and I like to smoke so I drew a line in the sand where those were concerned."

Denzel, talking about his upcoming return to Broadway in Othello almost 50 years since he first played the title role, says, "I played it at 22 and now I am playing it at 70 and I still remember some of it. I am terrified, curious and excited." Denzel recites a monologue from the play.

Saoirse Ronan, talking about her new wartime drama Blitz and its epic set pieces, says, "It is huge. So much of the sets were handmade with no real special effect. There was a lot of money pumped into it and rightly so. The whole thing is very impressive, and it felt so real. It's probably the biggest movie I've ever been in."

Asked about working with her nine-year-old co-star Elliott Heffernan, she says: "I had an affinity with him because I started acting at the same age and I was his ally in a way. I don't think actors who start out as adults know what is expected of a kid. They have to do three hours of tutoring a day and they are dragged away from the amazing time they are having on set to do schooling which is awful. I personally found it to be hell on earth, so I wanted him to feel he had another kid on set."

Eddie Redmayne talking about playing the lone hitman in a new TV adaptation of The Day Of The Jackal says: "I grew up with the original Edward Fox film and I loved it. When the scripts arrived, I thought, 'I don't want to touch this, I don't want to butcher something I love,' but it has been updated and has a very contemporary feel while retaining that old school, analogue spy quality.

"One of things I love is the disguises and different characters. The whole thing was like an actor's playground."

Asked how he got in such good shape for the role, he says, "I profoundly disagree with Paul - it was not fun, it was horrendous. You read a scene in the script that says, 'He is topless, sinuous and ripped, and you think, 'Oh f**k, here comes the chicken diet."

Revealing he also spent a month learning to ride for the role, Eddie says, "I'd had an horrific experience on a horse once before, so I really put the hours in to learn, but when I arrived on set a truck pulled round the corner with half a wooden horse, or bucking bronco, on top for me to ride!"

Blossoms perform Gary from their current album live in the studio before Tom and Joe join Graham for a chat.