6 days Ago By Chiara Fiorillo
Paul Mescal has reportedly been told to make some changes to his body and get "less ripped" as he prepares to star as Sir Paul McCartney in the new Beatles biopic. The 29-year-old Irish actor has been cast as the legendary musician and songwriter in Sam Mendes' ambitious four-part biopic about the English rock band, with episodes focusing on each member. Paul will star alongside Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon .
The movies will be released in "proximity" in 2028. But Paul, who portrayed Lucius Verus Aurelius in Gladiator II last year, has been asked to make some changes to his appearance before starring in the biopic, according to a source. The insider said that while Sir Paul was "always pretty lean and flexible," he was quite different from "a burly gladiator.
" The source also noted that while the iconic musician is a vegetarian, Mescal mainly eats steak, chicken and eggs. Talking to The Sun , the insider said, "Obviously there weren't really gyms around in the Sixties. The Beatles weren't dead-lifting between gigs.
Macca was always pretty lean and flexible - he has always been really into yoga - but this is a very different aesthetic to that of a burly gladiator, and Paul has been keeping his body pretty ripped, even after filming stopped. "Sir Paul McCartney is also famously a vegetarian, whereas Paul mainly lives on a high protein steak, chicken and eggs diet. There also weren't whey protein shakes back in the Beatles' day.
" For the actor, being cast as Sir Paul represents another significant role following his lead part in the Gladiator sequel and his Oscar nomination in 2023 for Aftersun. During an appearance on the Louis Theroux Podcast, Mescal shared that his father, Paul Sr, is planning to retire from teaching and return to semi-professional acting. The Normal People star also opened up about his fear of death.
He said, "I'm absolutely terrified of getting older, I'm totally scared of it because I associate it with a loss of control. I'm afraid of it, I think it's attached to my fear of death. I don't know what to do with that feeling, of the thought of parents passing away, or siblings, or friends, and statistically, death is one of the inevitable things.
" Mescal revealed that his mother, Dearbhla, enjoys practicing reiki - a form of spiritual healing - and he hopes his father will return to the stage after 33 years. He added, "It gives my mum lots of joy. I really hope my dad steps back on stage.
But to have worked a job for 33 years is a huge transition to go, 'you have all your time', and then to go back on stage, an immensely stressful thing when it was a massive part of your identity as a younger man." The Beatles movie marks the first occasion that the band and Apple Corps Ltd have fully authorized their life stories and music for a significant film adaptation. The star-studded cast was revealed earlier this week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
In a video statement, the director said, "The Beatles changed my understanding of music. I've been trying to make a movie about them for years. The four films will be released in close proximity.
Frankly, we need big cinematic events to get people out of the house." The Mirror US has contacted Paul Mescal's representative for comment. Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories.
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