Paul Mescal says he’ll work less before Beatles biopics: ‘People will get a break from me’

Paul Mescal attends the photocall for the ‘Hamnet’ Photography Exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery on Dec. 16, 2025, in London, England. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Paul Mescal is looking forward to taking a break.

The actor, who stars as William Shakespeare in the new film Hamnet, recently told The Guardian that audiences can expect to see less of him on their movie screens for a while.

“Once I’ve finished promoting [Hamnet],” Mescal said, “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.”

Mescal is set to play Paul McCartney in Sony’s upcoming Beatles films, which are releasing in 2028.

Along with Mescal, The Beatles movies will star Harris Dickinson, Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan. The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd. and The Beatles — John Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film about the band.

Sam Mendes will direct four different films, each told from a different member of The Beatles’ point of view. They will all intersect to tell the full story of the band’s history, according to a press release from Sony.

Mescal found his big break by starring in the Hulu series Normal People, which premiered in 2020. He says he’s been working continuously since then.

“I’m five or six years into this now, and I feel very lucky. But I’m also learning that I don’t think I can go on doing it as much,” Mescal said.

When asked if that means he is going to ration himself in the years to come, the actor said, “I think so.”

“I’m gonna have to start doing that. For sure. … Rationing doesn’t necessarily mean less,” Mescal said.