Paul Mescal Stays True to His Craft: Why He Embraces Playing Emotional Roles

Paul Mescal on Nov. 30.
Credit:

Samir Hussein/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• Paul Mescal recently questioned whether he is “finished” with the sad roles he has portrayed in films like Normal People and All of Us Strangers.
• In a conversation with PEOPLE, he clarified that he may not be entirely done with such roles.
• The Oscar nominee stars as William Shakespeare in the touching film Hamnet.

Irish actor Paul Mescal, known for his emotional performances, continues to explore the depth of his craft, indicating that he is not ready to abandon sad roles just yet.

The 29-year-old, whose filmography includes recent releases Hamnet and The History of Sound, as well as past hits like Normal People and All of Us Strangers, expressed mixed feelings about his future character choices in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.

“I don’t know if I’ll have more to say with roles like Will or Lionel or Connell or Harry,” Mescal remarked, referring to his characters in several of these projects. “I recognize that they are in conversation with each other, and there’s obviously some sort of artistic compulsion that I feel to be in that territory. I don’t know if I’m finished with that yet, but I might be finished with that?”

During a recent event for Hamnet, when asked about his earlier comments, Mescal humorously advised, “Don’t ever quote me on the things that I quote myself on.”

Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in ‘Hamnet.’

Agata Grzybowska/FOCUS FEATURES

Mescal further elaborated, noting the tendency to categorize actors into specific genres such as comedy or drama. “I just hope to keep making work that feels honest to me, and this film feels very truthful,” he said.

Hamnet focuses on the relationship between William Shakespeare (Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). The film explores their love story and the challenges they face, particularly after the tragic death of their son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). In his grief, Shakespeare immerses himself in writing and ultimately stages the tragedy Hamlet. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Chloe Zhao and features performances from Joe Alwyn and Emily Watson.

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in ‘All of Us Strangers.’

20th Century Studios

Regarding his role in All of Us Strangers, Mescal noted, “The only reason that this film is sad is because there’s real joy and levity in it in the first half of the film, and I think it’s kind of a bigger point.” He expressed pride in his work, stating that this project is “probably the film that I’m proudest of.”

Mescal also highlighted the unique connection he formed with co-star Buckley during filming, sharing, “I felt our relationship, we were able to get to a point where we were able to communicate nonverbally … which is a first for me actually.”

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones in ‘Normal People.’

Alamy

Buckley affirmed the positive atmosphere on set, stating, “I think we all approach it with intention, but with the lightest of touches, and we just loved each other, you know, we really were like a family… We laughed a lot amongst all the other stuff, so it felt alive,” she remarked.

Mescal’s future projects include a portrayal of Paul McCartney in director Sam Mendes’s upcoming four-film series, The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event.

Hamnet is currently in select theaters, with a wider release scheduled for December 5.