Why is it that the finest actors leave us with the sense that we know them? Even if they are—in life—unknown to us. Paul Mescal exemplifies the answer to that question, for there is something indelibly honest about his work. Something that allows us a feeling of recognition. It’s not so much what he shows you, but instead what he makes of himself available for you to see.
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There are things that an artist can grow into: craft, a deepening of the heart. But there is an honesty to some actors so intrinsic that it forms the foundation upon which all else grows. The first time I saw Paul perform, what moved me was his ability to stand in silence and take in the world around him so I could experience it through him. I was riveted, and it has been the same in every performance since. It is the sincerity of his every word and gesture that makes me so excited for what he’s yet to share with us.
Farrell is an Oscar-nominated actor
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