Paul Mescal's Bafta Blunder Goes Viral
Irish actor Paul Mescal found himself in an embarrassing situation during the prestigious Bafta Awards ceremony when host Alan Cumming publicly called him out for being on his phone. The awkward moment occurred during the three-hour awards show at London's Royal Festival Hall, where Mescal was nominated for supporting actor for his role in Hamnet.
The Viral Phone Incident
As Alan Cumming prepared to announce the award for outstanding British film, he noticed Mescal distracted by his mobile device. "The next award is for outstanding British film in honour of Alexander Korda, Paul, Paul, oh he is on his phone," Cumming declared after multiple attempts to get the actor's attention.
Caught off guard, Mescal looked up from his phone with a shocked expression before covering his face with his hands and laughing at the embarrassing situation. "You were supposed to do the gag, don't you worry," Cumming added while laughing himself, attempting to ease the tension.
The flustered actor quickly put his phone away and appeared to mouth an apology as Cumming waved him off, telling the nominee "Don't worry" before continuing with the award presentation.
Social Media Reaction
The incident immediately sparked reactions across social media platforms, with viewers finding humor in the relatable moment. One X user commented, "HELP PAUL MESCAL ON HIS PHONE AT THE BAFTAS IS SO FUNNY like same," while another noted "Paul Mescal getting called out at BAFTAs for being on his phone? That's awkward."
Mescal's Bafta Night
Despite the phone mishap, Mescal had a significant presence at the awards ceremony. He attended with his long-term girlfriend, singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, marking their red carpet debut as a couple. The pair, who have been dating for two years, posed affectionately for photographs, with Abrams kissing Mescal's cheek while he held her waist.
Mescal's film Hamnet, which dramatizes the life of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Hathaway, won the award for outstanding British film. The movie stars Mescal as the legendary playwright alongside Jessie Buckley, who won the leading actress award for her performance.
Although nominated for supporting actor, Mescal lost the category to Sean Penn from One Battle After Another. The film's director Chloe Zhao also missed out on her category, which was won by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Career Context and Future Plans
Paul Mescal rose to fame through the 2020 television adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel Normal People and has since built an impressive career with roles in The Lost Daughter, Aftersun, All of Us Strangers, and Gladiator II. He is set to portray Sir Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes' upcoming four-part Beatles biopic series.
The actor has accumulated significant accolades over the past five years, including two Bafta awards, a Laurence Olivier award, and nominations for an Oscar, Emmy, two Actor Awards, and a Golden Globe.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Mescal revealed plans to "start rationing" his workload, stating "I'm five or six years into this now, and I feel very lucky. But I'm also learning that I don't think I can go on doing it as much." He indicated he might focus on theater work for a period and suggested audiences might not see much of him until 2028 when the Beatles films are released.
Privacy and Public Life
Despite his growing fame, Mescal has been vocal about maintaining privacy regarding his personal life. In an interview with GQ, he explained "The speculation has been kind of mad for the last x amount of years. I'm not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life."
He emphasized that "How I am in my private life is so precious to me because I get very little of it, and it might be public interest, but it's not public-obligated information." This commitment to privacy makes his public relationship with Gracie Abrams and their red carpet appearance particularly notable.
The couple was first spotted together in London in June 2024 and have since been seen at various events including the All Points East music festival and one of Abrams' New York concerts. While they attended the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II together, they notably did not walk the red carpet as a couple on that occasion.
