← The Run-Through with Vogue
The Run-Through with Vogue
Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor on Adele, Fan Letters, and Learning to Pose on the Red Carpet
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- [00:01]
Chelsea Daniel
This episode of the Run through is brought to you by Bumble. I love seeing my friends get excited about meeting someone new.
- [00:09]
Chloe Mal
And I have to say, I have.
- [00:10]
Chelsea Daniel
A lot of friends who have met their partners or friends on Bumble. And I always, whenever I am introducing two friends to each other who I know they both met their partner on Bubble. I'm very excited to lead with that. You both met on Bumble other people and it sounds confusing, but everyone's excited about it. Bumble is designed to bring people closer with updated features such as verification tools, an advice hub and more in depth profiles helping to make dating a fun and empowering experience. So if you or one of your friends are looking to make a connection, download Bumble today.
- [00:50]
Cherminardi
This is the Run Through. I'm Cherminardi and today we have a special bonus episode. I have to say, I'm pretty jealous and so is the entire office. Because Chloe and Vogue's features editor Marlee Maris got the chance to talk to actors Paul Mescal and Josh o'. Connor. It's like a Internet boyfriend sandwich. They obviously worked on the film the History of Sound. In the film they play love interests who after the first World War are determined to record their lives and music. So they talked about working together, how Paul is learning to play the guitar for the upcoming Beatles film, which I personally am very excited for. And about Josh's love of ceramics and gardening, which I'm surprised to hear about, and their posing strategy on the red carpet. You can see a shortened version but visually hilarious video of their conversation on vogue.com and on Vogue's YouTube channel. Okay, here's Chloe and Marlee's conversation with Paul and Josh. Enjoy.
- [02:00]
Chloe Mal
Hi Vogue. I'm Chloe Mal. I'm Marlee Marius and we are filming a very special episode of the Run Through. We are here with the stars of the new film the History of Sound. Welcome, gentlemen.
- [02:11]
Josh O'Connor
Thank you.
- [02:11]
Chloe Mal
Paul and Josh, will you introduce yourselves to our unsuspecting audience?
- [02:17]
Paul Mescal
I'm Paul Maskell.
- [02:18]
Josh O'Connor
My name's Josh o' Connor and together.
- [02:21]
Paul Mescal
Together. We also have weird hands.
- [02:23]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [02:24]
Chloe Mal
When did you two meet? Because I heard there was a nice meet cute about when you first met each other over Zoom.
- [02:31]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah, we did. During lockdown. I watched as we all did normal people and loved it. And Paul and I have share an agent in America and I reached out to him, reached out to my agent and said can I.
- [02:50]
Paul Mescal
There's this kid.
- [02:51]
Josh O'Connor
There's this kid. Actually I did.
- [02:53]
Paul Mescal
Did you say this?
- [02:55]
Josh O'Connor
Have I told you this? No, I. I wrote to My agent to say, I just watched this thing, normal people, and this guy is incredible. And he was like, yeah, we know. Anyway. But I said I'd love to talk to him. And so then we had a zoom.
- [03:09]
Paul Mescal
Yeah. And it was.
- [03:11]
Chloe Mal
What did you think when you were told that, well, it's this elder actor who's calling you.
- [03:15]
Paul Mescal
There was this elder statesman of the industry who I, I had seen. I was a long admirer of Josh Long.
- [03:24]
Chloe Mal
Long.
- [03:29]
Paul Mescal
No, I'd seen it was either in second year or third year of drama school. I saw God's Own country with my friend and I was blown away. Blown away by it and still am. Whenever I've seen that film three times and I'm. I think it's like such staggering work. And I. Very recently, before I got this email from Josh, I'd seen a film called Only youy, which I don't know if a huge amount of people have seen, but if they. It's really spectacular work. And it's like the kind of film that I love where it's just essentially a two hander and it's like kitchen sink drama and it's just about the acting really. And I loved that. So when he reached out and I think it's also like, it's a testament to who he is. And I think we share this feeling where it's like it's an industry that can be typically quite competitive, but I've always felt that like I'm highly competitive, but it's always felt redundant to me in this industry. And because it's, it's, it's totally subjective. It's like, I think it makes it all a lot more palatable if you can admire somebody else's work and not feel like in competition. And I felt that off Josh straight away. And that's when we. But then it was Covid and we didn't really see each other until the stuff of that summer. The following summer.
- [04:50]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [04:51]
Paul Mescal
Yeah.
- [04:51]
Interviewer/Producer
How did your friendship sort of deepen during the process of making this movie?
- [04:55]
Josh O'Connor
Well, I think it's like, you know, we really were like proper friends before. And then it's like Paul says, there's this thing, you know, we have a friendship outside of this industry, but when it comes to the, you know, a lot of what we talk about is we both have very similar tastes in filmmakers and movies, in performances and actors. One of the exciting things about working with any actor truthfully is like just witnessing how someone else works and you're constantly learning from other actors and their processes. And Paul, I Think for us, it was just like, kind of. I was quite. I just remember being really excited. I was talking to another friend of mine, another actor friend of both of us, before I was going to start this movie. And I just remember saying, like, I'm so excited to see how Paul does it. But what was really interesting about this is, like.
- [05:48]
Chloe Mal
And what did you learn?
- [05:49]
Josh O'Connor
Well, what was interesting is that neither of us have, I don't think, a set process in that way. But I think what is interesting is that we are both actors who. I think. And you can see it in Paul's performances, like, it doesn't just happen. You're giving a part of yourself with Paul, specifically, something of Paul is left behind in that character. And that was interesting to me. But I think because of that and because of the subject matter of this film and how moving and how moving the film is, but how deep those feelings of love and grief are, we actually found ourselves being very light with it. And by light, I mean cheeky chat. But we were so. So there was, like, a lot of, like, giggles in between. But I think it was out of, like, a necessity because it was what we. The subject matter was so.
- [06:47]
Paul Mescal
But I think it's a wonderful example of, like, I love how surprising this job can be because I felt the same when I watched. I watched. God, I'm not. You know, I was like. And I think it's an important distinction to make that I don't think all work that is worthy is painful to do. But I also do appreciate when I see tough subject material being engaged with sincerely and with attention, as I've seen with Josh's work. And I could just tell, like, I knew enough about acting at that point where I was just like, that's really hard work. Like, you're going to the, like, well, with that and you're coming. And it's not that. Like, I don't necessarily know about, like, if you leave something behind or if you don't, but it's just, like, you're taking a kind of risk with just your feelings for, like, a period of time, and you're extending that. You're kind of sitting in a well of discomfort for kind of an undisclosed cause. It doesn't end when the film ends. It kind of ends when it decides it's gonna be finished. But I. I loved how knowing that the work that he produced and that I feel like I work similarly. It's in terms of, like, fun and levity. That three weeks that we were together was the height of that for Me across like my entire career. And it's weird because the film is so painful and. Or to me, that relationship is like the center point of like, somebody's life.
- [08:16]
Chloe Mal
But the truth is very elegiac.
- [08:17]
Paul Mescal
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [08:18]
Chloe Mal
It's not a cheeky.
- [08:19]
Paul Mescal
It's not a cheeky.
- [08:21]
Josh O'Connor
Or not.
- [08:23]
Paul Mescal
Those who are not famously not cheeky chaps.
- [08:27]
Josh O'Connor
But it's not like. I guess the reason it's so painful is because the time they have together is so joyful.
- [08:33]
Paul Mescal
Yeah.
- [08:34]
Josh O'Connor
So it was okay that it was.
- [08:35]
Chloe Mal
Well, I have to say, Marlee and I went to a screening of the film last week and it was one of those sort of midtown screening rooms where it's all grumpy film critics. And we were both sort of sobbing at the end. And it was not really the vibe of the rest of the room.
- [08:49]
Interviewer/Producer
They were kind of like, you guys good?
- [08:51]
Josh O'Connor
You guys good.
- [08:52]
Chloe Mal
But we were both. I was so moved by the film and so excited to see it. And it really has, I think, stayed with both of us afterward. But I was wondering what it was like preparing for these roles and how you even began that process.
- [09:09]
Paul Mescal
Well, first of all, thank you. We came across this film at the same time in 2020, so it's been like five years and definitely the longest it's been for me from like reading something to getting it done. It's the same for you, but weirdly, kind of like, I'm quite impatient. So there was like a part of it that was awful waiting to make this. But also it was great from a preparation side of things that you could kind of like have this project slow, like slow burning throughout everything. And I think it's something that is kind of meditative in tone. So it benefited from that kind of slow boil of getting made.
- [09:51]
Josh O'Connor
We also, like, because of the length of time between reading that short story initially and then chatting to Oliver and that big chunk of five years that was like so many. You know, Paul and I were already friends and so whenever I saw Paul, we would talk about the movie. And I just feel like sort of in a weird way, like, you know, in normal circumstances, maybe, maybe there's a year of like, next this, you know, this time next year I'm going to be making that movie. And so it's kind of percolating oftentimes, like while you're doing other projects. And then as it comes closer, there's really a sort of. For me anyway, there's usually a sort of, in an ideal world, like a two to three month period before the film where you're like, sole focus is on prepping this character. Ideally, we'd have longer, but that's usually how it works out with this film, I think just because it was so present for such a long time. By the time we got to sort of December, November, December, just before we started filming in January, I just remember being, like, looking at the script, sitting down the script and feeling like it was all there already. And I guess that is because we were sort of having all these conversations.
- [11:04]
Paul Mescal
It wasn't one that was like, obviously it came at the back of a strike, so the time was condensed beforehand. So. But it was one of those where I did. Similarly, you'd listen and be like, oh, I know these people. Like, I'm not worried about getting onto set and kind of being confronted with questions and not having answers.
- [11:19]
Chloe Mal
What was your relationship to folk music like before this film?
- [11:22]
Paul Mescal
I feel like the folk song in the film is pretty close to a lot of, like, traditional Irish music. Like, different but similar. And a lot of the traditional folk songs that we hear in American folk songs are actually kind of taken from the sound of the music of immigrants that came in. So there's lots of similarities to my ear to Irish music. And the kind of Shannon singing that you hear in Irish pubs is kind of tone. So I love that kind of music.
- [11:51]
Josh O'Connor
What was really nice, actually, was learning about. There's so much music in this film that I didn't know before and that we learned by doing and. But, yeah, I was a big fan of folk music for a long time.
- [12:06]
Interviewer/Producer
Did you already know the piano? Because you play the piano a bit in that movie.
- [12:08]
Josh O'Connor
I do not. I did not know how to play the piano. I knew how to play one Adele song.
- [12:13]
Paul Mescal
And which one must be Sapphire to the Rain.
- [12:18]
Interviewer/Producer
It's kind of fast.
- [12:19]
Josh O'Connor
I think it is. I think it is that one.
- [12:22]
Paul Mescal
Angsty Josh.
- [12:24]
Interviewer/Producer
I wonder if that's a big chord.
- [12:26]
Josh O'Connor
I'll try. And I. To the Rain. To the Rain. Yeah, I think it actually is that one.
- [12:35]
Paul Mescal
Or Rolling in the Deep.
- [12:36]
Josh O'Connor
It's one that goes Turning Tables. I knew how to play that song. Or actually a section of that song, of course. And then that was it. And so then we. I learned for this.
- [12:52]
Interviewer/Producer
And was there, like, vocal training involved or.
- [12:55]
Chloe Mal
Not really for this.
- [12:56]
Josh O'Connor
Actually, a lot of the Vogel training was about, like, D training. We both went to drama school. And, like, you do sing.
- [13:02]
Chloe Mal
That's funny.
- [13:03]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah, it's so much about, like.
- [13:04]
Paul Mescal
We worked with an amazing. Do you. Do you guys know the singer Sam Amadon? He's like a folk singer. Music is phenomenal. And I'd listened to him before, but he sings in that style and it's like, he would often say, just, like, put no effect on the voice and let the song be the song. So it's all, like, kind of interesting, straight intonation, like. And if you are deciding to accent something, it's with intention. Like, it's not to sound pretty for the sake of it sounding pretty.
- [13:35]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [13:36]
Chloe Mal
Did you take note from any musicians in your life or go to any festivals that you were. I don't know. I saw pictures of you at Glastonbury. Was this. Has this changed your relationship to music in general?
- [13:48]
Paul Mescal
I've always loved music. Like, I'm always jealous of musicians that I know. I think there's, like, jealous and sometimes not. Like, I like. Sometimes I'm jealous of the fact that they don't need permission to work. They can sit down at a piano and feel creatively engaged. But oftentimes, if they're, like, successful, they're, like, confronted with the fact that when their music comes out, they're confronted with questions about their personal life. And I'm like, oh, that's. We're lucky that, like, when we're working.
- [14:18]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [14:18]
Paul Mescal
True things that are autobiographical to us generally are hidden under the veil of a character. So I'm, like, jealous of them in certain instances. I'm not, but I've always loved music.
- [14:30]
Chloe Mal
And what's on your Spotify right now?
- [14:34]
Paul Mescal
What's on my Spotify? An artist called Jake Minch. Do you know what genre is this? Like, faux key singer, songwriting style? He's amazing. He's like 21 from LA and amazing lyricist.
- [14:50]
Josh O'Connor
What about you?
- [14:50]
Paul Mescal
Adele?
- [14:53]
Josh O'Connor
Adele?
- [14:55]
Paul Mescal
No, I have the song. Someone like you.
- [14:58]
Josh O'Connor
Have you heard of it? I actually have been going. I've been revisiting a lot of, like, my teenage indie years.
- [15:08]
Interviewer/Producer
Say more.
- [15:09]
Josh O'Connor
And, like, diving. Diving back into, like, faerie. Oh, and Laura Marling. We were just talking about Laura Marling because I wrote her a love letter when I was 16.
- [15:18]
Paul Mescal
Two from two.
- [15:19]
Chloe Mal
Did you reply?
- [15:20]
Josh O'Connor
She did not.
- [15:22]
Paul Mescal
And Adele, she's got. What's the song? That song Free for you by. Oh, do you know the song for you by Laura Marley?
- [15:32]
Interviewer/Producer
No.
- [15:32]
Josh O'Connor
It's so beautiful.
- [15:33]
Paul Mescal
It's. It's. That's. That's a top five song for me of all the time.
- [15:37]
Josh O'Connor
It might be for me. Yeah.
- [15:38]
Paul Mescal
It's amazing. The lyrics.
- [15:40]
Josh O'Connor
Romantic as well.
- [15:41]
Paul Mescal
Romantic or.
- [15:42]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [15:42]
Chloe Mal
What did you say in your love letter?
- [15:44]
Josh O'Connor
I can't remember what I said, but I. I Got. I put it all up in the teenage angst.
- [15:51]
Paul Mescal
Two interviews brought this up and also.
- [15:54]
Josh O'Connor
Like, happy to talk about. So delighted. Like, I'm just like, just give me that chance.
- [16:01]
Paul Mescal
You don't even need to say. Say more to Josh.
- [16:04]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah, well, they pressed me.
- [16:06]
Paul Mescal
They press.
- [16:07]
Josh O'Connor
They twisted. Yeah. I can't remember what I wrote, but I think it was along the lines of like, your music means a lot to me. And here's a leaf. And I pushed, pressed a sort of an autumnal leaf.
- [16:21]
Interviewer/Producer
Oh my God.
- [16:23]
Josh O'Connor
I was 16. 16.
- [16:25]
Paul Mescal
Okay. That actually is better.
- [16:31]
Josh O'Connor
Please, please reply.
- [16:38]
Cherminardi
The Run through will be back in just a moment with Gormez Gao and Josh o' Connor from History of Sound.
- [16:55]
Chelsea Daniel
This episode of the Run through is brought to you by Bumble. I love seeing my friends get excited about meeting someone new. It is so much fun to help them pick a great first date outfit and location and then hear all about it over coffee the next day. There is nothing better than watching people find their perfect match. And recently it feels like so many people I know have found their partners through Bumble. So mazel tov to Bumble and those finding people. Bumble is designed to bring people closer with updated features such as verification tools and advice hub and more in depth profiles and helping to make dating a fun and empowering experience. So if you or one of your friends are looking to make a connection, download Bumble today.
- [17:41]
Chloe Mal
Paul, do you play any instruments?
- [17:42]
Paul Mescal
I do now.
- [17:44]
Josh O'Connor
He does now.
- [17:45]
Paul Mescal
I do now. No, I played a little bit of piano, but I'm obviously learning music for the Beatles. Beatles?
- [17:50]
Interviewer/Producer
Hell yeah.
- [17:50]
Paul Mescal
Hell yeah.
- [17:52]
Chloe Mal
How is that music learning process going?
- [17:54]
Paul Mescal
It's great. Paul McCartney's famously left handed. I'm not left handed, so that's a challenge. But it is. It's such a like wonderful gift that we get like, like nearly 30 now and getting to learn these new skills. Like, I assume it's healthy for my brain to be learning something left handed.
- [18:12]
Chloe Mal
And like, God, that sounds very hard.
- [18:15]
Paul Mescal
It is pretty difficult.
- [18:17]
Chloe Mal
I know.
- [18:18]
Paul Mescal
I am laughing. It's such a. But it's such a weird thing that I explained to people. It's like, what's your job today? And I'm like, I'm going in and trying to learn like bar chords and the opposite. It's cool. It's like, wow. Yeah.
- [18:30]
Chloe Mal
What is that? Is that an intensive schedule already in terms of.
- [18:34]
Josh O'Connor
It's.
- [18:35]
Paul Mescal
It's like training. Training. Wow. Yeah.
- [18:38]
Chloe Mal
Is there a Beatles group chat already?
- [18:40]
Paul Mescal
There is a Beatles group chat, yeah.
- [18:42]
Chloe Mal
What's is there. Is it Named after, like, a Beatles album or.
- [18:46]
Paul Mescal
No, I think it's got a really boring title.
- [18:50]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah. Beatles Chat.
- [18:52]
Paul Mescal
I'm pretty sure it's cold. Four cheeky chops.
- [18:56]
Josh O'Connor
I feel so betrayed.
- [19:01]
Paul Mescal
I could be wrong on this, but. Four cheeky chops.
- [19:04]
Josh O'Connor
I'm your cheeky chop.
- [19:05]
Paul Mescal
You're my cheeky chop.
- [19:07]
Chloe Mal
What is your number one Paul McCartney song?
- [19:09]
Paul Mescal
Oh, it changes all the time. At the moment. I'm, like, obsessed with Michelle, but it literally changes.
- [19:18]
Chloe Mal
Josh, what's your Beatles song of choice?
- [19:23]
Josh O'Connor
I don't know.
- [19:24]
Paul Mescal
God doesn't know. I'll be the song. Anyone?
- [19:32]
Josh O'Connor
Any banger? Banger? No. My guitar. While my guitar. Gently.
- [19:38]
Paul Mescal
That's a great one.
- [19:40]
Chloe Mal
Yes.
- [19:41]
Josh O'Connor
Thank God.
- [19:41]
Chloe Mal
Nailed it.
- [19:45]
Interviewer/Producer
But you're quite creative in other ways. A ceramicist. Yes.
- [19:50]
Josh O'Connor
Sort of. Potter. Potter, I would say Harry Potter. So revealing. Who? A ceramicist? Just a Harry Potter fan? No, no, just. I like the. It's been a huge misunderstanding.
- [20:09]
Interviewer/Producer
I don't know where this went wrong.
- [20:12]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah. Even potters rich. I like making pots, but I'm certainly not a ceramicist.
- [20:19]
Chloe Mal
You sound like Winnie the Pooh. I'm sure it's more than that.
- [20:22]
Paul Mescal
No, he makes gorgeous.
- [20:23]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah. Well, I have been known.
- [20:25]
Chloe Mal
I was very charmed in Gabby Wood's lovely profile. She wrote for Vogue that you described your background as being an inherited hippie and that now you're gardening a lot and beekeeping. What are you growing at the moment at home?
- [20:40]
Josh O'Connor
Okay, good question. At the moment. Well, I've just had a good crop of courgettes. What do you call courgette? Zucchini.
- [20:46]
Chloe Mal
Zucchini.
- [20:47]
Josh O'Connor
Zucchini. Rhubarb. I've got two very brilliant fig trees, really produced this year, because we had mad heat waves. Oh, okay. They really, really produce this.
- [21:04]
Paul Mescal
Apples really produced. Yeah, they really came.
- [21:11]
Josh O'Connor
Thanks, guys. Yeah, that's what I've got.
- [21:16]
Paul Mescal
Josh is the oldest soul that I know, actually. We've already discussed. That.
- [21:24]
Josh O'Connor
Is true.
- [21:25]
Paul Mescal
No, but it's so gorgeous. He's, like, seeing, like, the privilege of being in Josh's home, like, in the countryside last year. And I was like, it's just like Josh in a nutshell. It's just like, in the garden, gorgeous pots and little ceramics and. Yeah, you're a happy boy when you're in that environment. In the lake. A lake so nice.
- [21:48]
Chloe Mal
Do you still, Josh, have the DHL camper van that you traveled with?
- [21:53]
Josh O'Connor
It's terrible news.
- [21:54]
Paul Mescal
It's not great.
- [21:55]
Josh O'Connor
I do. I do have it, but I'm selling it. I'm in the process of selling it. I'll tell you for why, guys. It's an ancient. It's an ancient vehicle. And it was. Every time I take it out, I'd break down. That's. I know. Luckily, you can obviously sleep in it, so, you know, if you break down at night, you stay in the vehicle. But it had to go. It's on its way out.
- [22:19]
Chloe Mal
Hopefully it'll go to a happy.
- [22:21]
Paul Mescal
Maybe you can get a new one at some point.
- [22:23]
Josh O'Connor
Maybe. Maybe. Look, I haven't really. You just have to, like.
- [22:25]
Paul Mescal
You just have to, like, mourn this.
- [22:27]
Josh O'Connor
I have to see this through.
- [22:29]
Paul Mescal
See this through.
- [22:30]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [22:30]
Chloe Mal
I want to ask about the red carpet mastery that both of you seem to enjoy. You both. I mean, I do feel like it's nice when people seem like they're having fun getting dressed up, because not everyone does. Is this something that's evolved over time, or have you always loved dressing up?
- [22:50]
Paul Mescal
If you had seen the clothes I would wear in secondary school, it's definitely evolved. I do. I think. Or not to speak on your behalf. I feel very lucky to work with. I work with Felicity Kay and I talk to other actors who are friends and sometimes they feel an obligation or that they're put in clothes. And I feel very much the opposite like that with Felicity. I'm sure you do with Harry, too, that I think it's a really important thing because then you just end up feeling like you're on some sort of parade the whole time. And it's not lost to me that, like, it's so. It's such an amazing privilege to have, like, these fashion houses go away and make these things specifically for you to wear. It's like a really privileged thing to get to experience. I think it's also.
- [23:41]
Josh O'Connor
It's like a balance because it's. Because those. Those events are sort of, like. They're really tricky because ultimately, I think people think that actors are like, maybe that they enjoy that spotlight at those events and those things. Yeah. The reality is that, like, most actors are doing it well. I just do what they do for different reasons. But a lot of the time we're hiding behind these characters and so it can feel quite exposing being yourself in a weird way. And so the advantage of having. Whilst it's also creatively kind of fun and interesting to sort of, like, put something together with Harry or Felicity, it's also about, like, curating. Curating a character that isn't necessarily you and. And. And that can be quite like.
- [24:30]
Paul Mescal
Yeah.
- [24:31]
Josh O'Connor
Quite a lifeline, actually, in these. In those situations. 100, yeah.
- [24:35]
Interviewer/Producer
Do you guys feel like you have like an alter ego on the red carpet?
- [24:38]
Paul Mescal
Yeah. No, because it's like I always cringe. Sorry.
- [24:45]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [24:45]
Paul Mescal
Do you know when you see the videos of the photographs being taken and you see yourself, you see other actors and you see. Some people are so good at having a picture taken. I don't think I'm great at having my picture taken. So when I see a video of.
- [25:00]
Josh O'Connor
A picture, do you want to know? This is really bad.
- [25:02]
Paul Mescal
Shocking. It's so. And you see them, you see the actors, like, lock in and they're like. Do you know they do that, like, mini two step.
- [25:08]
Josh O'Connor
It's the little shuffle.
- [25:09]
Chloe Mal
Whenever you watch on an award show and it's being filmed, I feel so bad for people because it. You're seeing it. We're not supposed to see how the sausage.
- [25:18]
Josh O'Connor
I had a terrible, terrible experience. Experience of this. When we were doing. We had the Challengers premiere in London.
- [25:26]
Paul Mescal
My heart rate's gone through the roof. Thank you.
- [25:27]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah. And I turned. I was. I kind of exhausted at the time. I was like, whatever. I, like, turned up to this premiere. We just gone from Australia to LA to bum bum bum. And then we landed in London. And it's the first time I'd had, like one of those big premieres. Leicester Square, big billboards and all this stuff. And then my family. I invited my family to come.
- [25:48]
Interviewer/Producer
Oh, boy.
- [25:49]
Josh O'Connor
So I'm getting out the car and there's that bit where there's like a wall of photographers. And I stood in front of the wall of photographers doing that, trying to do like.
- [25:57]
Paul Mescal
They're trying to get into, like, positions, like, trying to, like, get comfy.
- [26:01]
Josh O'Connor
And they're like, can you give us something else? And you're like, no, not really. Like a little smile. And it was like awful finger ducks. And there's just like all this noise and flashing photography and everything. And then I caught sight of my parents and my brothers and something about seeing my family in this environment, which felt like a threat. And then seeing my beautiful, gorgeous family who are like beautiful, kind, soulful people. I was just like. And then they're photographing me as I'm weeping. I was like this. And there's photographs of me just like, with tears. And they also.
- [26:40]
Paul Mescal
It's very shouty.
- [26:44]
Chloe Mal
The British are. Oh, in America, it's worse.
- [26:47]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [26:49]
Paul Mescal
Way shadow.
- [26:49]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [26:50]
Paul Mescal
But not way shadier. It's not.
- [26:51]
Josh O'Connor
Although I think it can. At the Cannes Film Festival, there are a few of those French photographers who are a little bit like. They shout and then they're, like, kind of livid like you. They get really mad. The first time I went, this is good. The first time I went. Warning. First time, it was nice. FYI, you're gonna love this better be good. The first time I went to the Met, obviously, like, people work so hard to make these outfits that are like. And the whole. Whole point of the people making these outfits is to get that photograph on the stairs. And I'm waiting in line, and you're not. You don't really have, like, your publicist or the. Or Harry or anyone there with you. So you're just waiting in this line. And I didn't know anyone. I'm just standing there, standing there. I see, like, an entrance, some steps, and they go, okay, Josh, off you go. And I went, thanks very much. Straight up the stairs, straight in. In I go. I'm like, this is brilliant. So I'm walking around looking. I check my phone. Like, 15 missed calls. Being like, what happened? I didn't get a single photograph. The whole. And then it was a disaster. And then I left early and it was just awful. It's my first. That was my first time and all that, like, months of work.
- [28:09]
Interviewer/Producer
Oh, my God.
- [28:10]
Josh O'Connor
And I just thought, what did they do?
- [28:11]
Paul Mescal
Wasn't. They got photos in the end?
- [28:14]
Josh O'Connor
Well, they said, go back out. And I was like, I couldn't do this.
- [28:16]
Paul Mescal
Oh, my God.
- [28:17]
Josh O'Connor
So then they managed to get someone to come in and take a picture.
- [28:21]
Paul Mescal
Yeah, yeah. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.
- [28:24]
Chloe Mal
But I do want to ask Paul about your shorts. Is this something you've always worn?
- [28:29]
Paul Mescal
Thank you for that question. Honestly.
- [28:32]
Josh O'Connor
Thank God.
- [28:33]
Paul Mescal
Seriously, thank God.
- [28:34]
Josh O'Connor
I was waiting. Sorry, the question.
- [28:37]
Chloe Mal
The question is, have shorts always been a part of your fashion?
- [28:40]
Paul Mescal
Always. But not even I wouldn't. Like, it would be an over. Like, I don't consider them like, they are shorts that I wore from the age of. Not the same shorts, but that Gaelic football shorts or like, that's just what Irish boys tend to wear. Happy to promote the agenda of short shorts for boys. I think it's an important evolution in the story of shorts and modern fashion.
- [29:09]
Interviewer/Producer
History of sound, history of shorts.
- [29:12]
Josh O'Connor
And.
- [29:13]
Paul Mescal
The history of shorts. No, but it's. It's not. It's not considered past the fact that now I'm. I'm like, is it a thing if I just wear. But they're always the shorts that I just want to wear. Yeah.
- [29:26]
Interviewer/Producer
Gotta be you. Got to be you.
- [29:34]
Cherminardi
Time for a quick break. When we're back, we play Would you rather with Paul Mescal. And Josh o'.
- [29:39]
Josh O'Connor
Connor.
- [29:46]
Chelsea Daniel
This episode of the Run through is brought to you by Bumble. I love seeing my friends get excited about meeting someone new.
- [29:54]
Chloe Mal
And I have to say, I have.
- [29:56]
Chelsea Daniel
A lot of friends who have met their partners or friends on Bumblebee. And I always. Whenever I am introducing two friends to each other, who I know they both met their partner on Bubble. I'm very excited to lead with that. You both met on Bumble other people, and it sounds confusing, but everyone's excited about it. Bumble is designed to bring people closer with updated features such as verification tools, an advice hub, and more in depth profiles, helping to make dating a fun and empowering experience. So if you or one of your friends are looking to make a connection, download Bumble today.
- [30:32]
Chloe Mal
All right. We are going to play a game of. Would you rather. Okay, okay.
- [30:37]
Josh O'Connor
No worries. Yeah, okay.
- [30:38]
Paul Mescal
Yeah, we'll do that.
- [30:39]
Josh O'Connor
I've heard of it.
- [30:41]
Chloe Mal
We are also reading these for the first time, so don't judge us for these. If you had the choice to never listen to music ever again or only listen to one song over and over, what would it be?
- [30:53]
Paul Mescal
One song over and over. Never listen to music ever again.
- [30:56]
Josh O'Connor
Oh, yeah. One song.
- [30:58]
Chloe Mal
What song?
- [30:59]
Paul Mescal
That's where it gets tough.
- [31:01]
Josh O'Connor
Gotta choose a long one, haven't you?
- [31:06]
Paul Mescal
Imagine that one over and over.
- [31:12]
Interviewer/Producer
Whatever kind of music. I'm out.
- [31:15]
Paul Mescal
I would. Wait. Does a play on loop.
- [31:20]
Chloe Mal
Oh, that's a good one.
- [31:21]
Josh O'Connor
Oh, yeah. Does it play? Yeah. Is it like, as in you can only ever listen to that song, but you cannot listen to that song?
- [31:27]
Paul Mescal
You can turn it off.
- [31:28]
Josh O'Connor
Is it like.
- [31:29]
Chloe Mal
Oh, yeah, you can turn it off.
- [31:30]
Paul Mescal
Okay.
- [31:30]
Josh O'Connor
Okay.
- [31:30]
Paul Mescal
Yeah, I'm just gonna. Because it's in my head. And she's featured heavily today in Laura Marling. I'm gonna go for you.
- [31:35]
Josh O'Connor
Really? Yeah. Nice. Mine would be Galleon Ship by Nick Cave.
- [31:41]
Interviewer/Producer
Minimalism or maximalism?
- [31:44]
Josh O'Connor
Minimalism or maximalism in context of interior design.
- [31:51]
Chloe Mal
That's what I said.
- [31:52]
Interviewer/Producer
Yeah, that's what I intersect, kind of.
- [31:55]
Josh O'Connor
Because I like, really? I find, like, minimalism in, like, interior design. A little bit, like, snooze.
- [32:02]
Interviewer/Producer
Is there another context in detail?
- [32:04]
Josh O'Connor
Is there, like a mediumalism?
- [32:06]
Chloe Mal
There you go.
- [32:09]
Josh O'Connor
Put that one down.
- [32:10]
Paul Mescal
Mediumalism.
- [32:10]
Josh O'Connor
Mediumalism.
- [32:12]
Chloe Mal
Custom tailoring or off the rack?
- [32:15]
Josh O'Connor
Off the rack. If you find, like, an old vintage suit.
- [32:18]
Paul Mescal
True.
- [32:18]
Josh O'Connor
Oh, my goodness.
- [32:19]
Paul Mescal
I'm gonna say custom tailoring. Yeah, yeah.
- [32:23]
Interviewer/Producer
Sweet or salty?
- [32:25]
Josh O'Connor
Salty.
- [32:26]
Paul Mescal
Salty.
- [32:26]
Chloe Mal
Oh, interesting.
- [32:27]
Paul Mescal
No. Why did I say so? That's not true.
- [32:29]
Josh O'Connor
Jolly Ranchers.
- [32:30]
Paul Mescal
Jolly Ranchers. Pesky Jolly Ranchers. I'm gonna go. Sweet. Yeah.
- [32:35]
Josh O'Connor
For me. Salty. The ideal is that Nature Valley.
- [32:39]
Paul Mescal
Oh, oh, that's Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
- [32:41]
Chloe Mal
Toast Crunch.
- [32:42]
Josh O'Connor
Nature Valley.
- [32:43]
Paul Mescal
Cinnamon almond butter.
- [32:44]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah.
- [32:45]
Interviewer/Producer
Oh, okay.
- [32:45]
Paul Mescal
Yeah.
- [32:46]
Josh O'Connor
That would convert me to mouth watering right now. Right now. Yeah.
- [32:51]
Chloe Mal
Sneakers with everything or always dressed up?
- [32:54]
Paul Mescal
Sneakers with everything. What? Oh, as in you wear them with everything or always dressed up?
- [32:59]
Chloe Mal
Are you casual all the time or always dressed up? I guess you're going Blundstones.
- [33:04]
Paul Mescal
Yeah. I think I prefer casual dressing generally than being dressed up.
- [33:10]
Chloe Mal
What are you guys wearing today, for example? Are these. Do you dress yourselves?
- [33:14]
Josh O'Connor
This. I was. Harry bought these for me. Those are cool, but I really like them.
- [33:19]
Chloe Mal
Yeah, I do, too.
- [33:20]
Josh O'Connor
What's the name of the brand?
- [33:21]
Paul Mescal
Magliano.
- [33:22]
Josh O'Connor
Magliano.
- [33:23]
Interviewer/Producer
Oh, and what about the sweater?
- [33:24]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah, me too. Same.
- [33:26]
Interviewer/Producer
Sick.
- [33:27]
Paul Mescal
These are my boots. They're bluntstones. And these are Horace trousers the Felicity found. And me and Felicity brute around for vintage T shirts everywhere and try and find them. Yeah. Yep.
- [33:43]
Interviewer/Producer
Red carpet or after party?
- [33:46]
Paul Mescal
After party.
- [33:48]
Chloe Mal
Who wants to be on a red carpet?
- [33:49]
Paul Mescal
Red carpets are stressful.
- [33:50]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah, definitely.
- [33:52]
Chloe Mal
As we've just heard.
- [33:53]
Paul Mescal
Imagine we were like, after on red carpets. I'm like, yeah, red parties.
- [33:58]
Josh O'Connor
I love a red carpet.
- [34:02]
Chloe Mal
Sauna or ice bath.
- [34:04]
Paul Mescal
I'm not great with either of those things. Well, is there medium temperature?
- [34:10]
Josh O'Connor
Medium. I actually. Okay. The enjoyment of a sauna in the moment. Wonderful for the experience after ice bath.
- [34:21]
Paul Mescal
Ice bath.
- [34:22]
Josh O'Connor
Yeah. No, you do feel ice bath.
- [34:23]
Paul Mescal
I feel like I can't. I get really claustrophobic in a sauna. I do like the feeling after an ice bath. So I would choose an ice bath.
- [34:29]
Interviewer/Producer
Would you rather have your sock falling off inside your shoe or your pants falling down because they're too big?
- [34:35]
Chloe Mal
This is a crazy question.
- [34:36]
Josh O'Connor
That is an insane question.
- [34:39]
Paul Mescal
I would not want my trousers falling down.
- [34:42]
Josh O'Connor
No. No, thank you. I don't want my socks. Socks?
- [34:45]
Paul Mescal
Yeah, socks. Socks.
- [34:46]
Josh O'Connor
100%.
- [34:47]
Chloe Mal
Pants that are slightly too short or sleeves that are slightly too long.
- [34:51]
Josh O'Connor
Oh, I've got a real. It's a real bugbear for me, this cropped trouser thing.
- [34:55]
Paul Mescal
I like a cropped trouser, depending on the crop and what else you're wearing it with.
- [35:00]
Josh O'Connor
It's just like. I. Okay, so I actually like cropped trousers on other people. It's just that for me, it's like everywhere. Doesn't matter where you look now.
- [35:09]
Paul Mescal
They're everywhere. They're everywhere. There's an epidemic.
- [35:11]
Josh O'Connor
What happened just to, like, a pair of jeans that reach your shoe? The old reach the Shoe days. What happened to that?
- [35:18]
Paul Mescal
See what I mean about the old sole thing?
- [35:20]
Josh O'Connor
I remember the days when people wore.
- [35:23]
Paul Mescal
Trousers right down to your ankles.
- [35:26]
Josh O'Connor
I just want him to get to the shoot and leave it.
- [35:29]
Chloe Mal
One question that I forgot to ask Josh that I'm very passionate about, which is the scrapbooks you make for every film. What is the last page of the History of Soundscrapbook?
- [35:40]
Josh O'Connor
Well, actually a little story on the History of Sound scrapbook because it's incomplete. Oh, I know. And I have a couple. My Lachimera scrapbook is also incomplete and like I will complete them. But the History of Sound, the last page, currently that's on the history, which is quite funny actually. I haven't told you this, but the. At the end of History of Sound I was going off to do the challengers press tour and I was learning embroidery and he's good at that now. I've gotten quite good. But at the time I was like a bit rubbish, but I was following, you know those kits you can get and it gives you the outline and you do that as sort of needle point stuff. I was do. I'd been doing those and this, my first attempt at doing a kind of freestyle one was a little mountain. I did a little mountain thing and that's on the last page of History of Sound.
- [36:33]
Interviewer/Producer
Incredible.
- [36:34]
Chloe Mal
Lovely. Well, this is the end, the last page of our scratch work today.
- [36:41]
Paul Mescal
Very well done. That was good, doc.
- [36:45]
Chloe Mal
Thank you so much. This was such a treat.
- [36:48]
Paul Mescal
Thanks for having us.
- [36:48]
Chloe Mal
Good luck on your epic day and thank you for visiting the Run Through.
- [36:52]
Josh O'Connor
Thank you very much. Thank you guys.
- [37:00]
Cherminardi
That's it for this episode of the Run Through. See you soon.
- [37:11]
Chelsea Daniel
The Run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Stephanie Kariuki.
- [37:16]
Chloe Mal
It's engineered by Pran Bandy and James Yost.
- [37:19]
Chelsea Daniel
It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's Head of Global Audio. This episode of the Run through is brought to you by Bumble. I love seeing my friends get excited about meeting someone new. It is so much fun to help them pick a great first date outfit and location and then hear all about it over coffee the next day. There is nothing better than watching people find their perfect match. And recently it feels like so many people I know have found their partners through Bumble. So mazel tov to Bumble and those finding people. Bumble is designed to bring people closer with updated features such as verification tools and advice hub and more in depth profiles helping to make dating a fun and empowering experience. So if you or one of your friends are looking to make a connection. Download Bumble today.
- [38:17]
Josh O'Connor
From prx.