Paul Mescal Makes SNL Debut with Gladiator 2 Musical Sketch
On December 7, actor Paul Mescal, recognized for his leading role in Gladiator II, hosted the latest episode of Saturday Night Live. This marked Mescal’s first appearance as host and was paired with musical guest Shaboozey, who also made his debut on the show.
The evening featured several sketches, but one of the highlights was a musical parody of Mescal’s own film, Gladiator II, drawing inspiration from the success of Wicked at the box office. In the skit, a humorous trailer was presented, claiming it included ’50 minutes’ of additional musical content, with Mescal singing about the depth of his gladiator character: ‘They don’t know that far below I’m so much more.’
Comedian Kenan Thompson kicked off the sketch with the jingle ‘No Place Like Rome,’ to which Mescal joyfully responded he was ‘gonna like it here.’ The musical segment featured additional SNL cast members, including Mikey Day portraying an emperor who rapped a light-hearted verse, purportedly penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda: ‘I don’t mean to be a hater, but I don’t like this gladiator.’
In a whimsical finale, Mescal soared away from the iconic Colosseum on a broom, a clever nod to Wicked’s ‘Defying Gravity.’
Mescal’s interest in a possible return for Gladiator III was also touched on during the show. He expressed enthusiasm, saying he would be ‘massively down’ to reprise his role as Lucius. Director Ridley Scott previously hinted at plans for a sequel, mentioning ‘I’d rather get on into Gladiator 3. There’s already an idea.’
SNL’s sketches from the evening included a variety of engaging performances, among them Mescal’s comedic take on Spotify’s Wrapped lists, presenting a fresh and fun analysis of musical preferences among friends.
