“Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal

Paul Mescal has earned critical acclaim and award nominations for his performances in “Aftersun” and the TV series “Normal People.” Now, the Irish actor who’s become a Gen Z heartthrob is front-and-center of “Gladiator II,” Ridley Scott’s sequel to his Oscar-winning 2000 epic of ancient Rome. Mescal talks with correspondent Seth Doane about acting alongside such icons as Denzel Washington; and what he first felt on stage in a high school production of “The Phantom of the Opera.”