Eddie Redmayne challenges Paul Mescal's claims that training for roles is 'fun'

Paul Mescal, 28, worked with a trainer for his role playing Lucius in Gladiator II , while Eddie Redmayne said he got into shape for the Sky Atlantic series The Day Of The Jackal

British actor Eddie Redmayne has openly expressed his disagreement with fellow actor Paul Mescal's take on fitness training for film roles, saying "I profoundly disagree with Paul – it was not fun, it was horrendous."

The Irish heartthrob Mescal, 28, had previously shared his workout regime for the upcoming Sir Ridley Scott epic, Gladiator II, saying on The Graham Norton Show: "I ate a lot of chicken and lifted heavy things." He added, "I was working with a trainer who circled me like a shark and said: ‘There is a canvas to work with.’"

Mescal described the experience positively: "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." In contrast, Redmayne, preparing for his role in Sky Atlantic's The Day Of The Jackal, told a different story: "I profoundly disagree with Paul – it was not fun, it was horrendous."

He humorously recounted his dread upon reading the script: "You read a scene in the script that says: ‘He is topless, sinuous and ripped, and you think, ‘Oh f***, here comes the chicken diet.’" Despite his aversion to the gruelling physical preparation, Redmayne spoke fondly of the new series, which holds personal significance: "I grew up with the original Edward Fox film and I loved it."

He initially had reservations about the project: "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," but was reassured by its modern adaptation.

He said: "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." Also appearing on Norton's couch was Saoirse Ronan, discussing her role in Sir Steve McQueen’s wartime drama Blitz.

She remarked: "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."

Joining the line-up, rock outfit Blossoms entertained with a rendition of their album's title track 'Gary' live on the show. Catch 'The Graham Norton Show' airing on BBC One at 10.40pm on October 25, also streamable on BBC iPlayer.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.