Little Britain’s Matt Lucas explains how he landed campy role in Gladiator II

Actor and comedian Matt Lucas has spoken about how he got cast in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.

The gay Little Britain star appears in the new historical drama as the master of ceremonies at the Colosseum. In a film that is already fairly gay (although it could’ve been gayer), his role embodies the androgynous energy of a modern-day drag diva, or a panto sidekick.

He’s perfectly cast, so it’s unsurprising to learn that he bagged the part without having to try too hard – although his neighbours might disagree.

Lucas told British GQ that he did a large number of takes to get his audition tape right.

“I just got a request from my agent to put myself on tape, to read for the part, and I was renovating my house, so I was staying in a rented flat,” he said.

“So, I apologise to all the other people in the block because I must’ve done about 80 takes, yelling at the top of my voice, as if talking to a Colosseum full of people.”

The character has to address the audience in the amphitheatre and those about to do battle, including Pedro Pascal’s Marcus Acacius and Paul Mescal’s Lucius Verus.

But the Wonka and Doctor Who actor had to do so without any sound equipment because, famously, Yamaha speakers hadn’t been invented by 200AD (although Scott seemingly isn’t exactly afraid of a little historical inaccuracy).

Lucas initially used a horn as an amplifier but it took up too much of the screen, so he eventually had to settle on just his own booming voice, and had to make four trips to Malta, where the film was shot – despite only being in four scenes.

“If this was something you were making for the BBC, you’d have probably filmed all my bits in one morning. But this movie is made very differently, so I’m in four scenes and I had four separate trips. Two were before the actors’ strikes, and the other two were after, so five months later.

“I’m slightly fatter in the later scenes,” he joked.

While Lucas’ campy emcee brings a bit of flair to Scott’s gruff gladiatorial world, there were two scenes that would have made it canonically queer.

In one, Mescal went in for an impromptu kiss on Pascal’s forehead, while another moment included Denzel Washington’s bisexual villain Macrinus kissing another man. Both scenes ended up on the cutting-room floor.

Gladiator II is in cinemas now.

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