Paul Mescal has said he intends to “ration” his work ahead of the release of The Beatles biopics in 2028.

The Irish actor has had a busy few years since breaking out with the success of Normal People in 2020, starring in a string of films including Aftersun and All Of Us Strangers and taking on the lead role in Gladiator II.

In the first weeks of 2026, he has two more new films hitting cinemas: Chloé Zhao’s Oscar-tipped Hamnet, in which he plays William Shakespeare opposite Jessie Buckley, and indie romance The History Of Sound, alongside Josh O’Connor.

In a new interview in The Guardian, Mescal has acknowledged that he has been taking on work at a rate that he is not likely to be able to sustain.

“I’m five or six years into this now, and I feel very lucky,” he said. “But I’m also learning that I don’t think I can go on doing it as much.”

When asked whether this meant he will now ration himself, he responded: “I think so. I’m gonna have to start doing that. For sure.”

“Rationing doesn’t necessarily mean less,” he added. “It means learning that films like The History of Sound take more out of the well. You can’t keep going back and expect to consistently deliver something you’re proud of. What that rationing looks like, I don’t know. I miss being onstage, so I might have a time when I’m only doing theatre for a couple of years. I also have different priorities in my personal life that I want to attend to.”

“Once I’ve finished promoting [Hamnet], I hope nobody gets to see me until 2028 when I’m doing the Beatles. People will get a break from me and I’ll get a break from them,” he said.

Mescal, who is also in a relationship with Gracie Abrams, will be playing Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes’ four-film series about the Fab Four, which are currently scheduled for a simultaneous April 2028 release. He has said he will be doing his own singing for the role and has spent time with McCartney to prepare.

Last year, it was confirmed that Harris Dickinson will play John Lennon, while Joseph Quinn and Barry Keoghan will play George Harrison and Ringo Starr respectively.

NME awarded The History Of Sound the full five stars, writing: “Mescal and O’Connor deliver the acting goods and the tale is told briskly, while exquisite American roots music is threaded deftly throughout the soundtrack, adding a real depth to the lush, romantic environment. The History Of Sound also looks the part, with cinematographer Alexander Dynan’s close-ups of despairing faces and freezing countryside accentuating the longing and regret that hangs over the film. A deeply sad movie about thwarted love, The History of Sound is essential viewing.”