Paul Mescal strolls through London’s Highbury Fields with the easy confidence of someone who has found his rhythm in an industry notorious for grinding down its brightest stars. Sunglasses perched casually on his face, his signature mullet catching the afternoon light, he moves with an unhurried spring in his step that speaks to a man genuinely at peace with his meteoric rise. The 28-year-old Irish actor, fresh from his starring role in HAMNET, has just wrapped a candid conversation with Rolling Stone that reveals as much about his grounded perspective as it does about his soaring career trajectory.
The meeting spot he chose—a pub called the Famous Cock—elicits a characteristic laugh from Mescal. “Ha! It’s pretty identifiable, isn’t it?” The choice feels emblematic of an actor who refuses to take himself too seriously despite now being considered one of Hollywood’s most promising talents. As he navigates the park paths, nodding respectfully to elderly gentlemen and playfully weaving around strollers, there’s something remarkably unaffected about his presence. This is a movie star who still finds joy in the simple act of walking through a neighborhood he’s grown to love.
Since breaking through with his raw, emotionally devastating performance in NORMAL PEOPLE, Mescal has built a career defined by both artistic integrity and surprising versatility. His recent turn in HAMNET showcased his ability to inhabit complex historical narratives, while earlier roles in films like AFTERSUN proved his capacity for intimate, contemporary storytelling. Each project seems carefully chosen, reflecting an actor more interested in depth than breadth, substance over spectacle.
But it’s his upcoming challenge that truly captures the scope of his ambition. Mescal is currently deep in rehearsals to portray Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ ambitious quartet of Beatles biopics, slated for release in 2028. The role represents not just a career pinnacle but a chance to embody one of his genuine heroes. “I’ve met him a couple of times. I adore him. I think he changed the world,” Mescal says of McCartney with an enthusiasm that transcends professional obligation.
The preparation for such an iconic role has given Mescal something he didn’t expect to appreciate: structure. “It’s a version of a weird 9-to-5, and I thought I would hate that and I actually am loving that. I do like structure a lot. I like a plan. I like rehearsals.” For an actor who admits that “everybody—everybody?—wants to be in a musical,” the McCartney project represents the perfect convergence of his passions for music, performance, and storytelling.
Mescal’s love affair with music runs deep, extending far beyond professional requirements. He speaks with genuine reverence about “music with a context,” Irish folk traditions, and the Beatles’ transformative impact on popular culture. This isn’t the casual name-dropping of a celebrity trying to appear cultured—it’s the sincere appreciation of someone who understands music as both art form and cultural force.
Gothic drama LIES WE TELL is now on Netflix.
With powerful performances by Agnes O`Casey and David Wilmot, the Irish drama takes Sheridan Le Fanu`s classic novel UNCLE SILAS and transforms it into something urgent and vital for our moment.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley finally sat down together, they were strangers—but within moments, the conversation became profound.
Both Irish actors are carrying the weight of devastating roles this year: Farrell as a gambling addict spiraling in Macau in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare grieving her son in HAMNET.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
From FAIR CITY to KNIVES OUT! Daryl McCormack shines in the new #netflix film WAKE UP DEAD MAN.
McCormack just wrapped Netflix`s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE opposite Jack Lowden, Emma Corrin, and Olivia Colman. Talk about range: trading viral grift for Jane Austen elegance. Same actor, different century, wildly different moral compass.
More Daryl at irishfilmtv.com.
Eve Hewson brings ghosts to life in Noah Baumbach`s JAY KELLY.
From her breakout in THIS MUST BE THE PLACE to BAD SISTERS and beyond, she`s now haunting George Clooney as Daphne—a face from the past that forces a movie star to confront who he became while chasing fame.
More Eve at irishfilmtv.com.
When the past catches up with you in Amsterdam 🌊
Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville star in MIDWINTER BREAK—a retired couple`s winter getaway becomes a reckoning with memories they`ve tried to outrun for decades, in theatres Feb 20.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
James Nesbitt is back in Harlan Coben`s twisted universe. 🔍
RUN AWAY drops January 1st on #Netflix — and this one`s personal.
When Simon (Nesbitt) finally finds his missing daughter strung out in a city park, it`s supposed to be a second chance. Instead, it`s the beginning of a nightmare.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
Are you loving STEVE on #Netflix?
Legendary war photographer Sir Don McCullin spent days on set capturing behind-the-scenes magic from this raw Netflix drama starring Cillian Murphy about a head teacher fighting to save his reform school while battling his own demons.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🏆 RIVALS just scooped the International Emmy for Best Drama Series!
The Disney+ hit starring Irish talents Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit brought home the gold for this deliciously scandalous 1980s romp through the world of wealthy media types.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From THE COMMITMENTS to THE TUDORS to KIN, @mariadoylekennedy has built a career that defies categories.
In a brand new interview with The Irish Examiner, Maria opens up about the artists and art that shaped her creative journey—from her Dublin roots to international screens and stages.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 From Shakespeare to a Beatle: Paul Mescal is doing the impossible!
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Paul Mescal is taking on TWO iconic roles that prove he`s one of the most fearless actors working today.
Watch Paul`s latest interview at irishfilmtv.com.
Kerry Condon`s brief but powerful performance in TRAIN DREAMS is pitch perfect.
She inhabits her character with quiet competence, moving through a male-dominated world with both caution and grace.
Watch now on @netflix!
🎬 HAMNET stars to receive Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards!
A stunning meditation on love`s fragility and art`s power to transform suffering into transcendence. This is Irish talent at its absolute finest on the world stage.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix just quietly dropped a crime thriller you`ve been sleeping on, and Brendan Gleeson`s performance alone makes it mandatory viewing.
MR MERCEDES, Stephen King`s dark detective series that somehow flew under the radar, is finally streaming – and it`s everything fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers have been craving.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott is about to steal another movie and we`re absolutely here for it! 🔍
The trailer for WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY has dropped, and our beloved Irish actor is joining Daniel Craig`s Benoit Blanc for what looks like the most deliciously twisted instalment yet.
Scott plays bestselling author Lee Ross, one of several suspects in a seemingly impossible murder that rocks a small town`s religious community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From GLADIATOR II`s arena to the quiet forests of Maine collecting folk songs on wax cylinders—Paul Mescal`s latest role in THE HISTORY OF SOUND might be his most vulnerable yet.
Now on @amazonprime, the film follows Lionel, a shy musician from a Kentucky farm in the 1910s, who meets David White (Josh O`Connor) at the New England Conservatory.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
