PAUL MESCAL | CHICKEN SHOP DATE

Amelia meets actor Paul Mescal for a date in a Chicken Shop.

Created and Written by Amelia Dimoldenberg
Director: Amelia Dimoldenberg

All of Us Strangers is in cinemas across the UK now!

Co-Written by Ania Magliano

Executive Producers: Liv West and Amelia Dimoldenberg
Production Assistant: Hazi Adamu

Cam A: Jonathan Moore
Cam B: Jay Seba

Sound Op: Jordan Tewkesbury
Editor: Joseph Bolger

Conform: Matt Easy
Colourist: Fraser Twitchett @ Okay Studio
Post Producer: Athene Xenia Aristocleous @ Okay Studio
Sound Design/Mix: Mark Duckett @ Bounce

Animation by Naomi Anderson-Subryan
Social Media: Ashleigh Kybert
Photographer: Grace Olukanni

Styling: Chloe Griffin
Hair: Ellie Fox

Chicken Cottage do not promote the consumption of alcohol and hold no affiliation to alcoholic beverages being sold or consumed.

Oh my God. Sorry your eyes match your… jumper. This is my date shirt. Wait, so you’ve worn this before? On a date? Maybe. Yes. Yes? Good to see you again, in this… I know. Chicken shop rather than you following me around red carpets. I know I meant to apologise for that,

But I’m very glad that we’re Yeah. here together. It looks like you’re stalking me. Well… I’m feeling good, a bit nervous. You are? Feel like we’ve built up to this moment for quite a while, and now we’re here. I don’t feel nervous at all. You don’t really have a nervous disposition, though.

Do you think? I feel like you’re… I would say same to you. About you. You don’t think I have a nervous disposition? No. You don’t know me well enough. Are you very nervous? Yeah. Yeah, okay. Do you like Guinness? That’s. Is that offensive No, it’s actually not. to say to an Irish person?

This is quite topical for me at the moment. Okay. I’ve recently gotten into Guinness. Oh cool. Which is kind of sacrilegious for an Irish person to say. Interesting you say that. ‘Cause I’ve also recently got into Guinness. Great. Are we gonna have? Did you get one? No. Just for you?

I just got one for me. Okay, great. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Do you like Guinness? Uh, yeah. I lo, I love, I love it. Hold on, before you do this. There’s a thing where you have to split the G. Have you heard about this? No, tell me. See the G on the Guinness?

You’ve gotta split that with your first sip. What? So you’ve gotta drink. Drink that much Guinness? I didn’t bring the Guinness. You brought the Guinness. That’s… polite! You’re an Aquarius. I’m an Aquarius, yeah. I’m an Aquarius. What’s your date of birth? 30th of January. 2nd of February. Oh my God. Wow. Very close.

Are you a romantic person? I would say, yes. But it’s all like, I mean, romance is subjective, right? Okay. What’s romantic to one person isn’t romantic to another person. That’s true. What’s romantic to you? Apart from, this right now. I love walking. A good long walk is romantic to me. Wow, simple pleasures.

Simple pleasures. I’m a simple man. God, you’re always playing such sad… Yeah. Sad characters. It’s my go-to. But they’re also, it’s, they’re quite like sexy. Sad. Sexy sad. Sexy sad. It’s a specific genre. Yeah. I feel like you’re really owning the sexy sad genre. I like to manipulate

The tears out of people with… sexiness. Is that a big burden to have on your, on your shoulders? You know? Being sad and sexy? Yeah, a big weight to carry. Sad and sexy. Is it a burden? No, it’s a privilege. Do you have a favourite, um, cinema snack? Popcorn, Maltesers,

And a big coke. Do you put the? Yes. Yes. Yes. Cool. That’s fun. So do I. We’re so, similar. Similar, yeah. Are you like a go to the movies and see a sad movie, or go and see a- Oh yeah. Especially if you’re in it. Great. I think I’ve seen all yours.

All my movies? Well you’ve not really done that… you’ve not done loads. Okay. I met Andrew Scott, the other day. Beautiful man. He said you’re a good kisser. I don’t. I don’t know if that’s true or false, so I can’t, I can’t say. Can you pronounce your last name for me?

I’d like you to pronounce my last- ‘Cause apparently I got it wrong. Mescal. Perfect. Perfect. You learnt that from Andrew Scott? Yeah, I did. It’s a, it’s a hard name I feel like the to pronounce. tide is changing. I feel like more people are getting it right now, than wrong.

It’s a propaganda that you’re, we’re putting out. It’s a propaganda thing and as you said, I haven’t been in many movies and the more that I’m in, the more the people get the name right. Maybe you should have a, an easier name to pronounce as your last name.

Like, Dimoldenberg. Or maybe I should just. Yeah. Mmm. That’s true, Dimoldenberg. Or maybe you should just what? Or maybe people should just get my… name right. So what’s Gaelic football? It’s where lots of… sad, sexy men run around in tiny shorts. Oh my God. Is that how you got your thighs? That uh,

Yeah. Mmm. Yeah, that’s how. Yeah. That’s, that and genetics. Okay. Yeah. Okay, you’ve got family of big thighs. Yeah, big. Big thigh family. Yeah. Gaelic football is, uh, the national sport in Ireland. And you used play it. I used to play it. You any good? I was good, yeah.

Obviously not ‘cause you’re not, doing it now professionally. Well, I just decided to. It’s, it’s an amateur sport so, you can’t get paid doing it. So the national sport. Is an amateur sport. Of Ireland is a… It’s kind of amazing because then people don’t do like it’s not corrupted by money. Mm hmm.

Unlike everything else in the world. Like… soccer. You like the rugby, though. I saw you getting very emotional. I like it a bit too much. Yeah, no, I think it’s, it’s cute. It’s cute? Yeah, it’s cute. So say we’re at a bar, and I’m like… I have no flirting capacity, so I’m like,

“Hey, you might think this is cute.” And it’s a video of me. No. Don’t show a video of yourself that’s been filmed. Shag, marry, avoid. Theatre, TV, movies. Ooh, that’s a good question. Yeah, I know, I know. Okay, um. Uhhh. Shag movies, marry theatre, avoid TV. Really? Yeah. That’s my.

What was your, like, pre-show rituals when you were on, uh, doing theater? Theatre? Yeah. Blind panic. Love that for you. Lots of pacing. It’s a good opportunity to say, I think you’re brilliant at your job. Stop. Okay. Stop it. Okay, but you’re very good at your job. Okay, cool. And it’s an-

This is not a job. attractive quality in a human being. It is a job. Oh, it’s not a job. No it’s not. We’re on a date, of course. But, um. Yeah. This is real. This is. This is a real date. This is a real date. There’s no ring lights and there’s no cameras.

Absolutely not. And there’s not a room of This is real people to hear. to me. Okay? Okay. You’re an Oscar nominee. Say it louder for the people in the back! Not a winner, but. Nominee. Not a winner. It’s the taking part that counts. Yeah. You agree? I agree with that.

I think it’s too subjective, really. Definitely. Art is subjective. Sometimes it’s like. Yeah, it’s. I don’t know what else to say on it. It’s alright. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It hurts. It’s fine. You’re good at picking a script. I love good films and good scripts.

Which sounds like a basic thing to say, but. Is it easy when you get a script in to know if it’s a good film or not? You know, I normally know the first read of First line. something. First line I’m like, “I’m in.” Sad dad, in. Would you ever be in a rom-com?

I would be in a rom-com. Cool. I’m, I’ve got a rom-com. You got a script? Yeah, I’ve got a script. I’m writing a rom-com, it’s, it’s me, I’m the lead. What’s the story? And I’m just looking for a male lead. And I just wondered if… Well, it just depends on what the-

You could audition. I’ve got the script here. So you’re gonna make me audition? Yeah. Just read this, the script. Okay, it’s a short script. I’m the director. Just pretend I’m the director. You’re the director? Yeah. Okay. But I’m also the star, and the writer. Yeah, I’m gathering that. Okay. Um. Wow, Amelia,

You look so beautiful today. I’ve never in my life seen someone so gorgeous in a chicken shop. I always used to think people who believed in love at first sight were stupid until… now. Cool. So if you could just… Great, did I get it? if you could just start reading the script now.

Very good! That would be great. That was manipulation of the, to the highest degree. Okay, smile. Look hap, look. No look not, like good. What, do… No just look normal. Look, am I, okay. Okay cool. That’s good. Okay, ready? Do you want portrait or landscape? I don’t know, you’re the photographer.

You look great. Look up, there you go. Cute. There you go. Thank you.