To Be or Not To Be

Paul Mescal is having a moment. Actually, he's been "having a moment" for about four years now, but with his latest role in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, he solidifies his place as one of the finest actors of his generation.

In a recent roundtable interview with AwardsWatch, Mescal discussed the immense weight of playing the Bard himself—William Shakespeare—not as a historical statue, but as a grieving father.

Creative Freedom

"The script gave us so much freedom," Mescal detailed. "Chloé [Zhao] isn't interested in the stiff, starch-collar version of history. She wants the dirt under the fingernails. She wants the silence between the words."

Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's best-selling novel, Hamnet imagines the life of Shakespeare's wife, Agnes (played by Jessie Buckley), and the death of their son, which ultimately inspired Hamlet.

Working with Jessie Buckley

Mescal and Buckley are an electric pairing. "Jessie is... she's a force of nature," Mescal said, smiling. "We didn't have to rehearse the chemistry. We just looked at each other and we knew the pain these two people were sharing. It was magic. Painful magic, but magic."

He described days on set where they wouldn't speak for hours, just existing in the shared grief of their characters. "It sounds pretentious," he laughed, "but you have to go there. You owe it to the story."

The Oscar Buzz

With the film already garnering critical acclaim, Oscar buzz is deafening. Mescal remains humble. "Whatever happens, happens. I'm just proud we made something that feels true. That's the only award that matters—knowing you didn't fake it."

Hamnet hits theaters worldwide next month.

Read our full review of Hamnet in the Movies section.