Paul Mescal Calls Out This 'Filthy' Word to Describe Making Movies

Paul Mescal is tired of the word “content.”

The 28-year-old Gladiator II actor spoke to The Sunday Times about the term, and why he doesn’t like it used when discussing filmmaking, calling it a “filthy word.”

“Over the last few years people have been talking about films as content,” he began.

“That’s a filthy word. It’s not ‘content’, it’s f-cking work,” he continued.

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“I’m not being snobby, but there are two concurrent industries. One that works with a lack of care, artistic integrity. Go nuts, make stuff with Instagram followers as a factor, whatever…But the other is what has always been there — the craft of film — making, directing, lighting and production design. That keeps artists alive.”

He previously told The Times U.K. that he’ll be “profoundly depressed” if the Gladiator sequel makes him even more famous.

“I’ll have an answer next year, but if [the film] impacts my life in that way, I’ll be in a bad spot. I’d have to move on and do an obtuse play nobody wants to see,” he said at the time.

He also explained why he didn’t reach out to this star while filming Gladiator 2.