Paul Mescal has become an undeniable force in the film world. Whether playing a despondent angel or a chivalrous dandy, he mesmerizes audiences with his riveting performances and magnetic on-screen persona. In addition to winning last year’s Best Original Score, he made waves this year by scoring a surprise Oscar nomination in 2023. In Aftersun, he masterfully played a young father concealing his suicidal despair from his daughter. This performance cemented Mescal’s status as a serious actor able to handle movies that demand difficult emotional stories.
At 27 years old, Mescal’s trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric. Three years ago, one author made a big bet on him. They thought he would absolutely take off and become an industry leader. Despite facing competition from seasoned actors, including Brendan Fraser, who won the Academy Award for his role in The Whale, Mescal’s talent remains undiminished. He mesmerizes everyone with his amazing performing talent. His ties to the music scene, though, only serve to make him more captivating.
The boundaries between Mescal’s personal life and creative pursuits are sometimes indistinguishable. He has inspired songs from his ex-girlfriend, Phoebe Bridgers, and his current partner, Gracie Abrams. These musical connections introduce a rich tapestry of personal and professional experience that informs his art and identity. His boundless spirit, exemplified by his fellow actor Josh O’Connor, completes his charm.
In “The History of Sound,” Mescal stars with O’Connor. He plays Lionel, an R&B singer who was reared on a cotton plantation in the rural American South. Aside from the documentary’s journey, it reenacts a lot of the folk song harvesting and recording process, using wax cylinders. Whatever nameless dread is driving Mescal’s character, David, finds its best expression in the actor’s description of a ‘false chord’ ringing inside him. This film is another reminder not only of Mescal’s versatility, but of his ability to take on roles that speak profoundly to the audience’s immediate experience.
Mescal underwent a profound physical metamorphosis for the role. He lost an astounding 90kg down to 78kg in just 8 weeks! More specifically, this devotion to his form only further proves just how dedicated he is to every role he takes on. He’s one of the stars of the upcoming film Hamnet, where he is scheduled to play Shakespeare himself. Added to this immense responsibility will be his involvement in a months-long, awards season campaign.
Mescal’s full filmography features his role as Arthur in La Chimera, as the white-suited, crypt-robbing treasure-hunter. These varied roles only further highlight his aptitude for slipping into any genre or character type seamlessly.
As Mescal matures into his next phase of artistry, he has much more in store. In 2028, he promises to take a rod to a Beatles-themed venture. This new initiative holds the potential to explore music’s transformative ability to shape culture and identity. His artistic evolution should be a fascinating thing to observe, complete with hallmarks of maturation and development, personally and professionally.