Colin Farrell hails Paul Mescal for ‘indelibly honest’ acting

By Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor

Paul Mescal has been hailed for the “indelibly honest” nature of his acting by fellow Irish superstar Colin Farrell.

The Normal People star, 27, from Maynooth, features on Time magazine’s 100 Next list of influential people on the rise. He appears in the artists section of the schedule, alongside stars such as The Crown’s Emma Corrin and The Last Of Us’s Bella Ramsey.

Time describes the list as the “emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership”.

Castlenock-born Farrell, 47, penned the tribute to Mescal, which said: “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.”

He adds: “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.”

Mescal will next be seen on the big screen in All Of Us Strangers, opposite Andrew Scott, and in Foe, with Saoirse Ronan.

He will also appear in the Gladiator sequel, a follow up to the 2000 film starring Russell Crowe.