"I have nothing to promote after Hamnet": Paul Mescal sets record straight on acting break

During a recent interview with The Guardian, Paul Mescal said something that made fans worried if he was planning to retire soon. His exact words were:

"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."

Paul Mescal's statement worried his fans. However, the 29-year-old Irish actor cleared up what he meant in another exclusive interview with People. He explained:

"Oh, what I mean by that is that I'm excited for the period of time that will fundamentally exist where I won't be promoting anything."

He clarified that he did not mean to say he was retiring anytime soon.

Paul Mescal continued to say:

"I would really lose my mind if I took two years off [from] of my job... But what I'm excited about is the concept of not being on a promotional tour for the next two years... I think it'll give people a welcome break from seeing my face."

During his appearance on the red carpet at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, he also explained what he meant by his statement during his Guardian interview. He told Variety:

"I couldn't be further from retiring, to be clear... Essentially, I have nothing to promote after Hamnet for the next two years."

Paul Mescal's upcoming films and other works

Paul Mescal is currently busy filming The Beatles biopic, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event. The upcoming films will be directed by Sam Mendes, and Mescal will be playing the role of Paul McCartney. The film will be released two years from now, in 2028.

Paul will be acting alongside other well-known names in the industry, including Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

Paul will also be appearing in Merrily We Roll Along, playing the role of Franklin Shepard. The release date for the epic musical film is yet to be announced.

Paul is also involved in theater. He will be appearing in two shows next year, in 2027. He will be playing the role of Michael Carney Jr. in A Whistle in the Dark at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, as well as the National Theatre in London. The second show is Death of a Salesman, where he will be playing the character of Biff Loman at the National Theatre, London.

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For a while, fans were worried that Paul Mescal was moving away from acting. However, the Hamnet actor clarified that he was referring to going on tour promoting films, and not actually retiring. Mescal has his calendar lined up for 2027 and even 2028, and it's just the beginning of 2026. Fans can rest assured that Paul is going nowhere, at least in the near future.

Also read: "Brilliantly made piece of art": Paul Mescal reveals which movie made him cry the most

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