Paul Mescal is an example of a young Irish actor who’s found big success in Hollywood. With all of the impressive wins and nominations he’s scored, he’ll find himself among the ranks of Irish actors like Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy and more. After being in the business for only the past eight years, though, Mescal has also already seen the best and worst parts of the acting game. He recently opened up about that, mentioning Daisy Edgar-Jones as well as “mistakes” while doing so.
After Paul Mescal beautifully portrayed grief, anxiety, and depression in the series Normal People, he’s continued to take on powerful performances that blow critics and audiences away. During Mescal’s interview with Vanity Fair, the talented star recalled speaking to his Hamnet co-star, Jessie Buckley, about his favorite part of acting, and I can’t blame him when it comes to this take:
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]. I don’t spend time often talking to them about acting. They’re just my friends. But I’m inspired by them.
It’s very true that actors can indeed befriend fellow performers as they work on different projects and navigate the business as a whole. Like Mescal said, hanging out with co-stars when the cameras are off allows them to be in each other’s company as people and not simply as thespians. Honestly, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to me if the Aftersun actor’s friends feel just as “inspired” to be in his presence.
However, Mescal humorously gave History of Sound co-star and pal Josh O’Connor some not-so-helpful advice ahead of his first SNL hosting gig. Yet Mescal still seems to have a good relationship with O’Connor as well as Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones, who’s essentially worked with “basically all of the internet’s boyfriends.” I imagine Mescal will have the chance to befriend other great actors as time goes on. After all, he is also starring in those four, star-studded Beatles movies as well..
Acting may be a rewarding experience for Paul Mescal to work with other inspiring, talented people. But like any career, acting has its drawbacks, and Mescal laid out a personal one:
The worst part is feeling like your mistakes are magnified, both personally and professionally. But it’s a small tax to pay.
Stars seemingly handle fame in a myriad of ways, as celebrity can cause aspects of one’s life to be “magnified,” as Mescal said. As the Oscar nominee expressed to Vanity Fair, it’s hard for him to pretend he doesn’t care about the public’s perception. At the same time, though, Mescal said he cares more about the people in his life who do appreciate his work. That’s a level-headed take to have, in my humble opinion.
If Mescal can balance the best and worst parts of acting throughout his career, I’m confident he’ll be just fine. Here’s hoping he continues to thrive and that he forges strong relationships with other actors like he’s done with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor.
Be sure to watch Paul Mescal in the 2025 movie release Hamnet, which opens in theaters on November 26th.