“I look back at myself at 24, he’s a different guy.”
Paul Mescal is reflecting on his life before Normal People made him a star.
The Kildare actor shot into super stardom in 2020 after starring in the extremely successful adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel.
From there he’s only gone from strength to strength, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in Aftersun and gearing up to star in the blockbuster of the year, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
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In a recent interview with GQ to promote the film, the actor reflected on what a whirlwind the last few years have been for him.
“I look back at myself at 24, he’s a different guy," Paul said, "Everything was still so ideal in my head. I was so deeply uncynical at that age."
“I don’t mean happier in the broad sense, but it was kind of the montage sequence of, everything’s rosy in the garden,” he continued.
“But also the other side of it has always been available to me. I understand the psychological landscape of the characters that I play and that isn’t just from reading the script, it’s from inside you somewhere,” he added.
Though he’s appreciative of the opportunities it’s given to him to grow as an actor and score dream roles, he acknowledges how its lead him to also become a bit obsessive.
“My agent refers to me openly as a psychopath when it comes to work. I feel an intense desire to have this forever,” the actor admitted.
“I want this to never stop. So with that comes a kind of neurosis of control.”
Gladiator II starring Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal is coming to cinemas on November 15th.
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