Paul Mescal wants everyone to know that his private life is just that — private.
The “Aftersun” actor understands that rising stardom leads to increased attention, and he is fine with it up to a certain extent.
“If I’m going to make TV shows like ‘Normal People,’ there’s going to be an appetite from the world,” he recently told Harper’s Bazaar about people’s increased interest in his personal life. “Eighty percent of that is palatable. And then 20% of it is devastating.”
Take romance, for example. Mescal was in a long-term relationship with Phoebe Bridgers, which reportedly ended in late 2022. The internet was fascinated by the couple throughout their courtship. The duo first met at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic while having an online conversation for Wonderland magazine.
“The stuff that hurts is the personal stuff. It’s nobody else’s business and should never be commented on because it’s indecent. And it’s unkind,” Mescal said. “Honest answer, it makes me angry. … It’s the entitlement to the information that people expect that just drives me f— mad.”
The Oscar nominee has previously stated that he often feels as if he should clarify what is happening in his life, but knows that it’s best for his mental health to maintain some level of privacy.
“But the temptation still exists to be like, ‘Shut the f— up. This is my life. This is what’s going on. Or this is what’s not going on,’” he told Vanity Fair earlier this year. “But moving forward as much as I can, that’s going to be my life that is private. That’s a difficult thing to achieve. But giving strangers an answer about my life doesn’t actually help me. It’s like a quick boost of serotonin, being like, ‘I’ve said what I need to say.’ And then it’s just Twitter fodder.”
The 27-year-old star told the Hollywood Reporter in February that he would “maybe at some point” be ready to talk about the end of his relationship with Bridgers. “But just not now.” he said. “It’s just difficult territory.”
The “Gladiator 2” lead made sure to put his stardom in perspective by acknowledging that, ultimately, fame and its byproducts are ephemeral.
“I feel like the game that I’m playing now is a young person’s game,” he continued in his Harper’s Bazaar interview. “And I’m young, but I want to be able to do this all the time.
“I have a feeling that when I’m 50, if I’m still lucky to be acting, I will look back on the personal relationships that I’ve built and be like, ‘F—, that was the thing.’”
