Paul Mescal has said his Academy Award nomination for his performance in Aftersun was a “very welcome respite” amid his mum’s battle with cancer. The Normal People star, 27, earned his first Oscar nod for portraying troubled young father Calum in Charlotte Wells’ coming-of-age drama.
In his first interview since the nominations, Mescal told Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s all a bit overwhelming, especially for my family, I don’t think anybody or even I was expecting this. I always knew I was willing to work hard but when the nominations came in and BAFTAs the week before, there was something kind of, something slightly absurd about it all.
“There’s stuff going on at home that is difficult and this has given my family a very welcome respite, and we’re going to have a great time as a family. They’re all coming out to LA.”
