Paul Mescal and Cillian Murphy looked in good spirits as they attended a screening of Hamnet in London on Wednesday.
Normal People star Paul, 29, portrays William Shakespeare in the film which follows him and his wife Agnes as they cope with the death of their son Hamnet.
After the screening, Cillian, 49, and Paul took to the stage where the Oppenheimer actor interviewed him about his role in the film.
Paul cut a casual figure for the event in a denim shirt and navy trousers while Cillian opted for an all-black look.
Hamnet has won rave reviews since its release and was named as one of the top ten films of 2025 by the American Film Institute.
Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes in the film, has won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for Best Actress for her role.
Paul Mescal and Cillian Murphy looked in good spirits as they attended a screening of Hamnet in London on Wednesday
Normal People star Paul portrays William Shakespeare in the film which follows him and his wife Agnes as they cope with the death of their son Hamnet
It comes after Paul revealed he is planning to ‘slow down’ his career to prioritise loved ones in a rare discussion about his personal life, including his relationship with girlfriend Gracie Abrams.
The actor, who is currently filming the new Beatles biopic in which he plays Paul McCartney, opened up about his shifting priorities as he reflected on turning 30 next month.
‘I really enjoyed the rhythm I’ve been working at. I think that process began when I was 23 and I’m now turning 30,’ the Hamnet star said on the latest episode of GQ’s YouTube series, 21 Questions To Fall In Love.
‘I can feel myself wanting to slow down a bit more and certain priorities come in where I spend my time, whether that’s with my family or with my partner or with friends.’
The actor, who rarely discusses his romance with singer Gracie, 26 – daughter of Star Wars director JJ Abrams – continued: ‘I’ve never had a desire to really spend my time anywhere else other than work up until this point…
‘And now I do have a desire to not spend my time necessarily in a rehearsal room or on set.’
Paul explained that his constant work rhythm since graduating from drama school, The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin, in 2017, left little room for extended breaks.
He said: ‘I’ve had six weeks [off work], but it’s always been in preparation for another job.
After the screening, Cillian and Paul took to the stage where the Oppenheimer actor interviewed him about his role in the film
Paul cut a casual figure for the event in a denim shirt and navy trousers
Hamnet has won rave reviews since its release and was named as one of the top ten films of 2025 by the American Film Institute
Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes in the film, has won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for Best Actress for her role
‘The maximum amount of time I ever had [off work] is like eight, nine weeks. Three of those would be in bed, recovering, and then the next six weeks would be preparing for the next thing.’
The Normal People star added that he would ‘love to go on a long backpacking holiday in South America’ and has been discussing plans with a friend to carve out six weeks to do it.
He also admitted that spending time with Gracie in the US last summer has helped him develop a ‘surprising’ new passion.
He has become a devoted Boston Red Sox fan, crediting a ‘partner connection’ to the team, rather than Irish-Boston heritage.
‘I take baseball very seriously now,’ he said. ‘Last year, I went to my first major league baseball game at Fenway Park. I’m a Red Sox fan… I watch the highlights on my phone every morning.’
Paul recently revealed plans to ‘slow down’ his career to prioritise his personal life as he made a rare comment about girlfriend Gracie Abrams (pictured)
Paul’s revelation that he wants to spend more time on his relationships comes after he told Rolling Stone last autumn that he has hopes of one day being a dad.
‘I would love to have a family,’ he said at the time. ‘I’m not like, “I want them tomorrow,” but I would love to have kids.’
Paul and Gracie have been dating for around two years and were first spotted together publicly in June 2024 when they were pictured sharing an intimate date at BRAT Restaurant in London.
