Paul Mescal's Reflection on the Intimate Scenes in 'All of Us Strangers': A Blend of Emotion and Sensuality
Paul Mescal opens up about the deeply emotional and sensually charged sex scenes alongside Andrew Scott in their upcoming film 'All of Us Strangers', describing them as a powerful blend of healing and seduction
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Paul Mescal is sharing the deeper meaning behind his sex scenes with Andrew Scott in their upcoming film All of Us Strangers.
In his interview with Natalie Portman for Variety's "Actors on Actors," 27-year-old Mescal shared that the intimate moments between their characters in the movie are not just sexy, but also play a crucial role in healing the story.
Andrew Haigh directed the film, All of Us Strangers, which follows the story of Adam (played by Scott), a writer who returns to his childhood home only to find his parents frozen in time and still alive at the age they were when they passed away 30 years ago. Adam then becomes romantically involved with his enigmatic neighbor, Harry (portrayed by Mescal).
Mescal expressed that films like this show progress, but there is still a long way to go in terms of representation. He also mentioned that the intimate scenes were intended to be both sexy and meaningful in the context of the story.
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Mescal elaborated, "You have Andrew Scott’s character Adam who’s in his mid-40s, struggling with his sexuality, and then you have Harry come in who is much more at ease with it. Harry serves as a sort of safe haven for him to rediscover his sexuality, which I find both deeply touching and incredibly alluring."
He continued, "I believe that when sex in film or any form of media can be both healing and sexy, that's when it's at its peak."
Mescal and Portman, 42, also lamented about the more insensitive portrayals of sex in media. "I believe we are moving towards a change," Mescal expressed. "Or at least I hope so. I've been fortunate not to have been in a film sex scene where I felt it was unnecessary."
In September, Haigh told Vanity Fair that Mescal and Scott were “fearless” when it came to shooting love scenes in All of Us Strangers.
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"I have been more mindful of my approach to shooting sex scenes in the past," he explained. "But for this project, I really aimed to capture the subjective experience of sex - the nerves, excitement, and physical sensations of being touched by another person, and the impact it has on you."
Mescal gained widespread recognition through his role in Hulu's Normal People, a 2020 series adapted from Sally Rooney's bestselling novel. The show's genuine and raw portrayal of sex was praised as one of its standout qualities, and Mescal commended the producers for their handling of these scenes.
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"The actor shared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2021 that we had an amazingly supportive team that helped to make those scenes feel as comfortable as possible." The full trailer for All of Us Strangers is now available for viewing ahead of its release on December 22.
