Shirtless Paul Mescal breaks cover after awkward Saoirse Ronan showdown

Just before Paul Mescal’s now-viral showdown with Saoirse Ronan aired, he was seen relaxing shirtless.

The actor has been in Australia promoting the upcoming Gladiator II movie, which is scheduled to be released later this month. While Down Under, the Irish diva, 28, has been enjoying the warmer climates in his home country while the Australian summer has been chilly.

Paul has been revealing details about his time on set, including an “intense fight” on the movie set, in recent months. He also recently addressed the “devastating” speculation about his one night stand flings. However, Paul appeared blissfully unaware of the impending drama just hours before the awkward The Graham Norton showdown aired.

Topless, smoking a cigarette in his hand, two female friends, and a male pal were pictured staring at him from a hotel balcony in Sydney while enjoying the views. In the photos that the MailOnline obtained, he chose to wear long black jeans close to his waist with a belt with a striking silver buckle instead of his signature shorts.

As images showed Mescal straining as he turned to take in the views of Sydney Harbour, his ripped physique was on full display. One conversation, however, left the all-male panel speechless as the Irish actress, 30, reminded them about violence against women during his BBC One chat show appearance with his co-stars Saoirse and Eddie Redmayne.

When Saoirse stopped the panel, joking about filming fights and arguments, to explain why women should record evidence of it. Eddie, 42, revealed that during his training for The Day of the Jackal, he was taught how to use a phone to launch an attack.

Amused by the concept, Paul, replied: “Who is actually going to think about that? I’m not going to go “phone,” as he mimicked taking a phone out of his pocket to film if someone actually attacked me. Graham, 61, laughed at the idea and quipped: “Can you hold on a second”? Eddie added: “That’s a very good point”.

Before finding the ideal moment to share her thoughts, Saoirse quietly observed their conversation. As the panel was enraged into silence before agreeing with her, she simply said, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.” She then turned to the audience and said: “Am I right, ladies”?

The moment went viral on social media as the crowd cheered and clapped for the star. One user praised the actress for “saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it.” Another posted: “Saoirse Ronan is a queen. To understand their privilege, men need a reminder of what it’s like to be a woman. That is evident in the silence after she said.

While Paul hasn’t commented on the disagreement, Saoirse has since addressed the moment and called Paul her “dear friend”. She acknowledged that she and Paul are close friends and that the subject raised on Graham’s show is not something they have always discussed in private with Ryan Tubridy on Virgin Radio UK. She continued, “Paul is one of my dear friends, and I’ve already had those kinds of conversations with him,” adding, “He fully understands that.”

However, I believe that there was a moment like that on a program like Graham Norton, which is available on national television and even internationally, that it seemed to have had an audience that seemed to have really grown, which I think is amazing.

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Source: Mirror