Paul Mescal Explains His Quotes About Taking A Break From Acting
Everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now.
Paul Mescal is ready for a break. In a Jan. 2 interview with The Guardian, the actor discussed the possibility of taking an acting hiatus after years in the spotlight. Since scoring a starring role in Normal People in 2020, Mescal has been steadily building up his résumé with back-to-back roles in Aftersun, Gladiator II, The History of Sound, and Hamnet. Now, however, Mescal wants to slow down — at least when it comes to press tours.
“I’m five or six years into this now, and I feel very lucky,” Mescal told The Guardian in a joint interview with his History of Sound co-star Josh O’Connor. “But I’m also learning that I don’t think I can go on doing it as much.”
“I’m gonna have to start [rationing myself]. For sure,” he said before adding, “Rationing doesn’t necessarily mean less.” Instead, Mescal clarified that different projects require different levels of energy. “It means learning that films like The History of Sound take more out of the well,” he added. “You can’t keep going back and expect to consistently deliver something you’re proud of.”
According to the actor, he’s still defining what exactly “rationing” will look like to him. “What that rationing looks like, I don’t know. I miss being on stage, so I might have a time when I’m only doing [theater] for a couple of years,” he added. “I also have different priorities in my personal life that I want to attend to.”
Mescal has been busy promoting his latest film, Hamnet, which has generated Oscars buzz. But after awards season wraps up, he’s hoping to stay out of the public eye. “Once I’ve finished promoting that, I hope nobody gets to see me until 2028 when I’m doing The Beatles. People will get a break from me, and I’ll get a break from them,” he said.
A few days later, he clarified what he meant in an exclusive interview with People. “Oh, what I mean by that is that I'm excited for the period of time that will fundamentally exist where I won't be promoting anything,” he told the outlet on Jan. 5. “I would really lose my mind if I took two years off [from] of my job,” Mescal says. “But what I'm excited about is the concept of not being on a promotional tour for the next two years.”
“I think it'll give people a welcome break from seeing my face,” he quipped.
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