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Paul Mescal Explains His 'Animalistic' Shakespeare as Hamnet Opens in UK

He credits a clear sense of purpose with giving him practical control over his choices.

Overview

  • Mescal says he first sensed the film’s promise during rehearsals with Jessie Buckley and felt an early London studio screening matched what they set out to make.
  • He describes his take on William Shakespeare as more body-led and traditionally masculine, rejecting the usual cerebral stereotype.
  • He says actors have more agency than they expect when they know the projects they want, citing the ability to arrange direct conversations with filmmakers like Chloé Zhao.
  • The film adapts Maggie O’Farrell’s novel from Agnes’s perspective, centering on the loss of her son Hamnet and the later writing of Hamlet.
  • Hamnet is slated to debut in UK cinemas on January 9.