Paul Mescal Shares His “Artistic Patron Saints”

Paul Mescal has spoken about his journey as an actor and how he handles fame. He admitted that the idea of being a leading man or movie star makes him uncomfortable.

“To me, an actor is the gold standard,” he said, naming Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Michelle Williams as his artistic role models.

Mescal also shared how he felt after Normal People’s intimate scenes gained worldwide attention. He described feeling uneasy about being objectified and joked that people noticed the Gaelic football shorts he wears casually offscreen.

He is learning to stay emotionally open while protecting his private life. He has made a conscious effort to keep his relationships out of the public eye, moving away from the spotlight he experienced during his past relationship with musician Phoebe Bridgers.

When it comes to social media, Mescal is cautious. He rated himself a six on the “how-online-are-you” scale, then dropped it to five. “I don’t have Instagram. I sometimes dip onto Twitter, which is a mistake every single time,” he said. Instead, he enjoys YouTube, especially watching Boston Red Sox highlights on his way to work.

He also keeps in touch with friends through WhatsApp, including castmates from Normal People and other actors he admires. “I was saying to Jessie the other day, it’s crazy that our friendship group is my favorite actors in the world: Josh [O’Connor], Andrew [Scott], Saoirse [Ronan], Daisy [Edgar-Jones],” he said. “I don’t spend time often talking to them about acting. They’re just my friends. But I’m inspired by them.”

Mescal has several big projects lined up. He will star in the romantic drama The History of Sound with Josh O’Connor and play William Shakespeare in Chloé Zhao’s period drama Hamnet. He has also taken over the role of Franklin Shepard in Richard Linklater’s long-term film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along, which will be shot over 20 years.

Additionally, he will portray Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ Beatles biopic, with the first part set to release in April 2028. On stage, Mescal will return in 2027 for revivals of A Whistle in the Dark at the Abbey Theatre and the National Theatre, as well as Death of a Salesman at the National Theatre.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!