In a new Rolling Stone video series Role Roulette, Paul Mescal picks out of a pool of his past movie characters for different prompts. Who would he want as a karaoke partner? Who would make for the best gym buddy? Are there any of his characters he'd like to swap places for a day? Let's find out.
00:00That's the coolest thing my job has ever afforded me.
00:03I was kind of having an outer body experience being like,
00:05I was in drama school nine years ago and I'm sad opposite Paul McCartney.
00:09Hi, I'm Paul Meskell and today I'm going to be putting my film and TV characters to the test.
00:18Which character would be most helpful in a zombie apocalypse?
00:24There's a character I played in a film called Faux, called Junior.
00:27He's got a gun, which I think would come in helpful in a zombie apocalypse.
00:32He lives in the countryside, is able to kind of like self-isolate.
00:36I don't think like Connell would be particularly good.
00:39You'd hope that like the zombies wouldn't get as far as like rural America at that point, is my logic.
00:44I think my toxic trade is thinking that I would be good in a zombie apocalypse.
00:49Do you ever think like when you're in like a very public place,
00:52like what would happen if there was an earthquake or what would,
00:54like if you're in like a big crowded area, what would happen if there were zombies running around?
00:58I think I would like run for the nearest exit,
01:01make my way out of the city at rapid pace,
01:04probably on the nearest line bike and hope for the best.
01:07Or have a go bag at home, that would be useful.
01:10I think it would be like self-preservation initially,
01:12like get the fuck out of the city ASAP.
01:15And then, do you guys know about Bear Grylls?
01:17I think I would try to put my Bear Grylls knowledge to the test,
01:22making like tents out of obscure objects,
01:26drinking my own urine if it came to it.
01:29Those two things specifically is what I aim for.
01:33And that was the first thing I wanted to say.
01:38Best shopping companion.
01:39Harry in All of Us Strangers.
01:42I'm probably the closest aligned to the clothes that I would wear in real life.
01:47One of my favorite things that I've ever worn is the pink jumper that he wears in the first scene that we see him.
01:51I'd definitely take Harry.
01:52You'd probably go out with him after.
01:58I like the like little like jean shorts and the vest and the open shirt.
02:02How would you describe your personal style?
02:03It either would oscillate between like laid back vintage clothes
02:07and then like sharp, well-tailored, classic suiting.
02:12There is an Instagram account that's dedicated to Connell's chain.
02:16Yes.
02:16Is it still going?
02:17It's maybe run its course.
02:19I think they used every single image of that chain that could possibly have been used.
02:23The best karaoke partner.
02:25Definitely not Callum.
02:27Clearly he's not got a good track record with karaoke.
02:30You'll move on in a second.
02:31I'm not up for karaoke.
02:32Harry would be a good karaoke partner.
02:35Lionel would be a good karaoke partner.
02:37He could sing.
02:38You'll wake my mother.
02:41Paul McCartney, not done yet, but obviously he would be the karaoke partner of choice.
02:46Like I've always kind of been a massive admirer of his music generally and broadly,
02:50but the thing that I'm really in total admiration for is just that his work ethic was absolutely relentless.
02:56I'm biased, but I think it's kind of just an objective fact that like the work that he made has changed the world.
03:02The world of pop culture and culture more broadly, I think he has taught fundamentally and forever changed the world.
03:11I will never forget it as long as I live.
03:15I got to play Blackbird with him.
03:17That's the coolest thing that I've, my job has ever afforded me.
03:22I was kind of having an outer body experience being like, I was in drama school nine years ago and now I'm sat opposite Paul McCartney and we're playing Blackbird.
03:29Like to be, to be sat in front of somebody playing one of the most famous, most covered songs of all time,
03:36but then to be sat in front of the person who that came out of his, his mind, I was like, I love my job.
03:42I've been learning left-handed, so it's been pretty intense.
03:46It was just a very special, special thing.
03:48Doing karaoke with Paul McCartney would make me probably like karaoke.
03:53I'm pro banning karaoke personally.
03:55I just think on paper, it's more interesting than in reality.
03:59It always looks like it's a fun night out, but then it's tricky.
04:03I'm going to be exposed as a liar.
04:05I don't like karaoke, but I went to karaoke in, uh, why does it actually sound like I'm about to say something controversial?
04:12I went to karaoke in, um, in Japan and had a great time.
04:17Going to karaoke.
04:18What would be your song now?
04:19If you find by Miley Cyrus.
04:21It is the club!
04:22Generally, my thing is, it looks more fun on paper, and then in reality, it's loads of drunk people screaming songs.
04:30The last song I sang at karaoke was, uh, Cabaret.
04:34Did I hit all the notes?
04:35Did you?
04:36No, I can't remember that.
04:37See, that's my point.
04:38I thought I was fab, but it was probably not fab.
04:41Sophie, I'm not doing it, okay?
04:43A few of your characters have that musical element.
04:45I think I just like music generally, and I think it's cinematic.
04:49It's, I think, I think it's, music is something that, like, immediately take an audience or yourself out of, like, your head and put you in your feelings pretty quickly.
04:58Who would I want to swap places with for the day?
05:01A lot of them are very sad.
05:03Oh, I want to swap places with William Shakespeare for a day.
05:06Pick a specific play that he was working on and be like, what were the thoughts coming into his head?
05:12Do you have a favourite Shakespeare play?
05:13I'm biased because it features heavily in the play, but Hamlet, for sure, that's a play that has not only stood the test of time, but again, is just consistently re-examined and keeps telling us today, explaining our world to us today, even though it was written 400 plus years ago.
05:27Best workout partner?
05:29Lucius would be a pretty good workout partner, I think.
05:32He's strong, he's a strong boy.
05:37I think he's the only option in that regard.
05:40I worked with an amazing trainer called Tim Blakely, and I saw more of him than my family for about a year.
05:47I really enjoyed it because, like, I played lots of sport growing up, and since I got into acting, you're kind of removed from that primal, competitive part of my brain, and getting to train, like, that was a really fun experience.
05:58Having to put, like, muscle or weight on for something I find a lot easier than having to, like, slim down.
06:04You just get to eat more, and I, um, like that.
06:13Which character would give the soundest breakup advice?
06:16There's a couple that I would take advice from.
06:19Probably, again, Harry.
06:22Conal?
06:22Conal, no.
06:25No, um, oh, we broke up, actually.
06:28Oh.
06:29Sorry.
06:30A hard no from Conal, but love him.
06:32He's been through the ringer, but I don't think, I think he, I think Conal would give good advice, but I don't think he would necessarily take his own advice.
06:40Which one amongst us?
06:41Yeah, exactly.
06:42I can give pretty good breakup advice, or I actually would go at Lionel.
06:47I think he's, like, a good observer of, uh, people.
06:50I'm so lucky that the job that introduced me, like, in terms of screen work, is the thing that people probably talk about the most.
06:58I think I'd be kind of slightly devastated if it was something that started my career off, but I didn't love it.
07:02I am sometimes slightly surprised by the fact that it's still, uh, a very important show to people in the world, but I am incredibly proud of it, and that job has, like, totally afforded me every opportunity that I've had.
07:15How do you feel about the...
07:17I kind of jump around the map with how I feel about it.
07:21I'll go.
07:26And I'll stay.
07:27I think it's, like, a really good, uh, barometer of where you're at in your, uh, life, depending, like, if you're looking at the last episode, and sometimes I'm, like, God, I wish she just came to New York with them, or I'm grateful for the fact that they're splitting.
07:42Because I think it's kind of indicative of where you're at in your headspace.
07:45What happens to Conal and Marianne is probably more indicative of, like, a healthy relationship, where it's, like, you can't really support an ecosystem of a relationship unless you're willing to be autonomous and look after your own life.
07:57Don't plot a lot of land before you can tend to, like, the broader context of a relationship, I think.
08:02You know I love you.
08:04Which character would you want on your football team?
08:07Conal, I would want on my football team.
08:08Who else were you thinking?
08:09Lucius?
08:10Yeah.
08:11Yeah.
08:11Because there's the strength, but then there's...
08:12I see where you're going with that, depending on the sport, but I would go Conal.
08:17I think he's a little bit more versatile than Lucius.
08:20Knowledge of the game already.
08:22Knowledge of the game, yeah.
08:24Please!
08:25Please!
08:25You'd have to, like, teach Lucius to, like, not murder people.
08:30You'd have to teach Lucius to, like, not murder people.
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