Paul Mescal lauded his fellow Irish actress and friend Saoirse Ronan for advocating women’s safety in a television talk show segment that gained widespread attention.
Both Oscar nominees featured on The Graham Norton Show, where Eddie Redmayne shared insights on how he prepared for his character as a solitary assassin in the Sky Atlantic series The Day Of The Jackal, which included instructions on how to utilize a mobile phone if confronted.
In a light-hearted reply, Mescal, 28, remarked: “Who is honestly going to think about that?”
He elaborated, “If someone were to assault me, my first thought would not be to grab [reaches for his pocket] my phone.”
However, Ronan interjected, stating: “That’s something women have to contemplate continually. Am I correct, ladies?”
The segment swiftly went viral on various social media platforms, with many applauding Ronan for challenging the male perspectives.
Mescal was inquired on Irish broadcaster RTE’s The Late Late Show whether he was astonished by the clip’s reception.
“I’m not astonished that the message received such attention because it is immensely significant and I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show. She is… more often than not the most astute person in the room,” he responded.
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He remarked that she was “absolutely right” and “nailed the point,” emphasizing that it is reassuring to see “conversations like that gaining traction — that is a dialogue we should definitely be having on a daily basis.”
Ronan had earlier described the response to her statements as “unbelievable.”
Saoirse Ronan was featured on the show to promote her newest film, The Outrun
She shared with The Ryan Tubridy Show on Virgin Radio UK: “It’s certainly not something I anticipated, and I didn’t specifically aim to make a big impact.”
Yet she mentioned receiving messages from men and women globally in response to the incident.
She stated that the men on the show “weren’t really contesting anything I was saying,” and noted that Mescal “completely understands” the matter as they have previously discussed it.
