Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist – Detailed Episode Summary

Episode:

Title: Paul Mescal on Playing Shakespeare, Working with Legends and Crafting Complex Characters
Air Date: November 30, 2025
Host: Willie Geist
Guest: Paul Mescal
Main Subject: Paul Mescal’s career journey, focus on his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet, reflections on past work, acting philosophy, and upcoming projects.

Episode Overview

In this in-depth conversation, Willie Geist sits down with acclaimed Irish actor Paul Mescal. They delve into his starring role in Hamnet, where he plays a young William Shakespeare, the emotional depths explored in that role, his unique path from sports to acting, creative partnerships with industry legends, and his current project portraying Paul McCartney. Mescal discusses acting craft, gender and grief, forging authenticity in performance, and the continuing impact of formative experiences.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reimagining Shakespeare in Hamnet

• Humanizing a Legend

  • Paul Mescal discusses the challenge and relief in playing an artist rather than the "immortal" William Shakespeare.
  • The film explores Shakespeare before his fame, focusing on his life as a Latin tutor and family man haunted by personal loss.

• Quote:

  “You don’t really hear his full name until the last 20 minutes of the film. So it did open up a real...sense of excitement for me because it... made him accessible.”
  — Paul Mescal [04:01]

• Interpretation & Approach:
  Mescal felt drawn to the animalistic, impulsive side of Shakespeare not as a distant genius but as a flawed, creative man.

  "...he's not interested in his talent. He's interested in the act of making, which I think is a really...I could just—you know, when you have that kind of feeling in your hands where you’re like, ‘oh, I know how to go about doing this.'”
  — Paul Mescal [07:03]

2. The Emotional Arc of Hamnet

• Portraying Parental Grief Without Personal Experience
  Mescal discusses building authentic emotion from love, not just loss, highlighting the importance of establishing the family’s joy to make the heartbreak resonate.

• Quote:

  “All of the loss that the audience and these characters feel can only be serviced if you really feel this love and commitment and loyalty that these two characters and these children, this family unit is like a nest.”
  — Paul Mescal [10:47]

• Key Scene Discussion:
  A specific, emotionally complex homecoming scene is broken down, demonstrating Mescal’s belief in underplaying rather than dramatizing grief—a subtler, more gendered response.

  “It just actually totally silences him and he doesn’t know what to say or how to act.”
  — Paul Mescal [14:50]

• On Gender and Emotional Expression:

  “I think the film is also, like, very much interested in maybe more stereotypical gender...that concept of men or younger men struggling with the initial release of grief or emotion, I think is true for...I definitely relate to that.”
  — Paul Mescal [15:50]

3. Collaborating with Jessie Buckley and the Creative Team

• Working with Jessie Buckley:
  Mescal expresses deep admiration for Jessie Buckley's performance, calling it "one for the ages," and credits her wild humanity and curiosity for people as elevating the film.

  “I think this performance is, like, not just one for this year. I think it’s one for, like, truly for the ages.”
  — Paul Mescal [17:45]

• Chemistry Born from Shared Experience:
  The synergy between cast and director Chloe Zhao—and their time spent together in natural surroundings—helped shape the film’s emotional authenticity.

4. Early Life & Entrance into Acting

• From Gaelic Football to Spotlight:
  Mescal’s journey began as a serious athlete. A mandatory school musical at age 16 led him to acting, and he credits this public school policy with changing his life.

  “Had my school not afforded me that opportunity...I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.”
  — Paul Mescal [21:59]

• A Memorable First Role:
  He debuted as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, describing the rush of that first show as a defining, addictive moment.

  “It just felt like nothing. I think I’m still...chasing that, that night when I was 16.”
  — Paul Mescal [25:02]

5. Managing Sudden Fame & Community

• Breakout with Normal People
  Mescal reflects on his rise during the pandemic and how Normal People was a sharp adjustment—even more than recent high-profile projects.
• Keeping Grounded & Managing Public Life:

  “You can live the life that you want to live if you don’t operate purely from a sense of fear...there’s a real sense of community in London. I live in London now...People look after you...life feels a little bit more manageable now.”
  — Paul Mescal [27:24]

6. Working with Legends: Gladiator 2

• Mescal describes working with Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington, losing the intimidation quickly due to their collaborative spirits, and feeling proud of contributing to a beloved franchise.

  “They took away the stigma of, like, oh, you’re working with Ridley and Denzel...you’re going to work with colleagues who care deeply about what we’re making.”
  — Paul Mescal [28:44]

7. Next Challenge: Becoming Paul McCartney (Upcoming Biopic)

• Learning Guitar Left-Handed:
  Mescal reveals the “dark months” of retraining himself to play guitar left-handed for authenticity.

  “There was a couple of dark months at the start of the year where I thought it was never going to happen, but...it’s definitely been the greatest technical challenge of my career.”
  — Paul Mescal [30:53]

• Collaborating with the McCartney Family:
  He acknowledges the unique element of portraying someone still alive and praises the family’s openness and transparency.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• 04:01
  “You don’t really hear his full name until the last 20 minutes of the film...made him accessible. I could relate to that.” — Paul Mescal

• 07:03
  “He’s not interested in his talent. He’s interested in, like, the act of making.” — Paul Mescal

• 10:47
  “All of the loss...can only be serviced if you really feel this love and commitment and loyalty.” — Paul Mescal

• 14:50
  “It just totally silences him and he doesn’t know what to say. It feels almost like documentary style...like acting Olympics.” — Paul Mescal (on the homecoming scene)

• 15:50
  “That concept of men or younger men struggling with...release of grief...I definitely relate to that.” — Paul Mescal

• 17:45
  “I think this [Jessie Buckley's] performance is...for the ages...she hides her brilliant craft in wild humanity.” — Paul Mescal

• 21:59
  “Had my school not afforded me that opportunity...I wouldn’t be the person I am today.” — Paul Mescal

• 25:02
  “It just felt like nothing. I think I’m still...chasing that, that night when I was 16.” — Paul Mescal

• 27:24
  “You can live the life that you want...if you don’t operate purely from a sense of fear.” — Paul Mescal

• 28:44
  “They took away the stigma...you’re going to work with colleagues who care deeply.” — Paul Mescal (on Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington)

• 30:53
  “There was a couple of dark months...but it’s definitely been the greatest technical challenge of my career.” — Paul Mescal (on the McCartney biopic)

Additional Segment Timestamps

• [03:07 – 16:54]: Deep dive into Hamnet, Shakespeare, grief, and process.
• [20:48 – 25:11]: Mescal’s beginnings in acting, first theater experience, legacy of early opportunities.
• [25:11 – 27:24]: Normal People, newfound fame, maintaining normalcy.
• [28:14 – 29:43]: Gladiator 2, working with Ridley Scott & Denzel Washington.
• [29:46 – 31:16]: Upcoming role as Paul McCartney, musical preparation, insight into collaboration.

Tone & Style

The conversation is reflective, witty, warm, and honest—Mescal blends self-deprecating humor with thoughtful analysis of both his craft and life outside work. He credits luck, collaborators, and a sense of community for his success, and often draws connections between his emotional experiences and the universality he seeks to portray onscreen.

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate, layered portrait of Paul Mescal as both a rapidly ascending talent and a thoughtful artist determined to imbue every role with honesty and lived-in humanity. From the nuances of playing Shakespeare to the technical discipline of learning to play Paul McCartney left-handed, Mescal’s dedication and introspection shine through, making for an engaging listen and a rich snapshot of an actor at a pivotal moment in his career.