Paul McCartney Praises This Young Actor for Being ‘Cute.'
Paul McCartney cheekily called Oscar-nominated Aftersun actor Paul Mescal "cute" in a new interview with Stephen Colbert. Mescal is set to play McCartney in the upcoming Sam Mendes Beatles biopic.
McCartney made the comment in a surprise appearance on Stephen Colbert's show, for his last-ever The Late Show episode. During their chat, Stephen asked him about "the upcoming four-part Sam Mendes series, each one from the point of view of a different Beatle."
"Who is cuter? Young Paul McCartney or Paul Mescal?" the host asked the musical icon. With a cheeky grin, the Wings singer gestured to himself and said, "Me."
After a round of applause from the audience and laughs from the host, McCartney added: "No, he's very cute, he's very cute."
McCartney has been helping the 30-year-old actor get into the role, giving him tips on how to play the guitar left-handed. Mescal also revealed he had met the muscian on two occasions and praised his "kindness"
"He's the most brilliant man," gushed the Normal People actor earlier this year. "I feel emotionally attached to him. He received me with great kindness and warmth."
He added: "One of the many benefits of shooting a Beatles anthology is that you get to do the job and not talk about the job."
The Beatles films were announced at CinemaCon in 2025 and are set for release in April 2028. These four theatrical films will follow different band members, showing their lives and careers from their own unique perspectives.
Joining Hamnet star Mescal as McCartney are Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. These films mark the first time the Beatles and their families have ever granted full music and life rights to a theatrical film
"I'm honoured to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies," said Sam Mendes during the official announcement back in February 2024.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 10:43 AM.