Hamnet writer always saw Paul Mescal as Shakespeare in film adaptation

The author of Hamnet recalled seeing Mescal years ago at the Gate Theatre in Dublin playing Stephen Dedalus

The Oscar-nominated film Hamnet, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel, has drawn attention not only for its story but also for its cast, particularly Paul Mescal, who plays William Shakespeare. O’Farrell has revealed that she had always envisioned Mescal in the role.

The writer recalled seeing Mescal years ago at the Gate Theatre in Dublin playing Stephen Dedalus in James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, before his breakout role in the hit series Normal People.

“Even then he stood out a mile,” she said. “There is an interesting thematic link between Stephen Dedalus and Hamlet, so I always kept saying Paul Mescal, Paul Mescal.”

Hamnet explores the life of Shakespeare, his wife Agnes, and their family, focusing on the death of their son, Hamnet, and how it may have influenced one of Shakespeare’s most enduring works, Hamlet.

The film, which O’Farrell describes as having a distinctly Irish feel, also stars Jessie Buckley as Agnes. O’Farrell joked about the casting process: “Did you actually do any auditions or did you just go on holiday to Ireland?” She said she was fully supportive of Buckley in the role, calling her “a dream Agnes” who inhabits the character beautifully.

For the novel, O’Farrell conducted extensive research on Shakespeare and his family, acknowledging that “there’s still an awful lot about his biography we don’t know.” She noted that Shakespeare’s wife, mother, and daughters have historically been “footnotes” in his story.

To bring the female characters to life, O’Farrell undertook hands-on experiences: learning to fly a kestrel, planting an Elizabethan medicinal garden, and experimenting with Tudor recipes and herbal remedies.

In the story, Agnes is rumored to be the daughter of a forest witch, a detail reflected in the film where she is shown spending time with her pet hawk and gathering herbs for medical concoctions.

O’Farrell initially hesitated about being involved in the screenplay but was persuaded by director and co-writer Chloé Zhao. “I know how to construct a narrative for the page but I didn’t really know how to construct one for cinema,” O’Farrell admitted.

She said that her collaboration with Zhao, who has a strong macro vision for the film, has been productive, especially in crafting scenes with 16th-century dialogue.

Hamnet has already received six Golden Globe nominations, including Best Actress in a Drama for Buckley and Best Supporting Male Actor for Mescal. The film is set to be released in UK cinemas on January 9, 2026.