Paul Mescal has opened up about his surprising encounter with Hollywood star, Nicole Kidman. During an appearance on a recent episode of the “How To Fail With Elizabeth Day” podcast, the Irish actor spoke about the time he met Kidman in her sweaty underwear in the dressing room after performing in the West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Mescal, who had been playing the role of Stanley Kowalski in the play, shared that the encounter occurred during his very first week in London. He had just finished a performance and was in his dressing room, when Kidman appeared at his door.
“She walked into my dressing room and I was in a state of complete shock,” he recalled. “She had come to see the show with her husband, Keith Urban. They were both very nice and very complimentary about the show. But what was most surprising was the fact that she was in her sweaty underwear.”
The Normal People star added that he had to immediately reassure Nicole when she expressed concern about her appearance. “She was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I’m just really sweaty.’ And I was like, ‘Nicole, I’m really sweaty too. We’re actors, we sweat. Don’t worry about it.'”
Mescal went on to describe how the interaction made him feel “kind of weird.” “I remember thinking to myself, ‘I just met Nicole Kidman in her underwear.’ It was a surreal moment,” he said.
The actor’s revelation about the encounter quickly made headlines, with fans and media outlets alike expressing their surprise and amusement. Many praised Mescal for his down-to-earth response to the situation, with one Twitter user writing, “I love that Paul Mescal just casually dropped that he met Nicole Kidman in her sweaty underwear on a podcast.”
Others speculated about what may have caused Kidman’s unusual choice of attire. “Maybe she was rushing and didn’t have time to change?” one person suggested, while another joked, “Maybe she just really wanted to make an impression on Paul.”
Of course, this is not the first time that Mescal has made headlines for his interactions with Hollywood stars. The actor, who shot to fame last year for his lead role in the hit series Normal People, has been spotted mingling with a host of A-listers over the past few months.
In September, he was seen chatting with Brad Pitt at a screening of the film Ad Astra in London. Later that month, he was photographed with Harry Styles at a gig in Rome. And just last month, he was spotted hanging out with Maisie Williams at a London restaurant.
Despite all the attention, Mescal has remained admirably grounded and humble. In his interview with Elizabeth Day, he discussed his fears of becoming “too big for his boots” and expressed gratitude for the success he has achieved so far.
“I am so grateful for everything that’s happened, but at the same time, I’m still just a normal guy from Ireland who loves his family and his friends,” he said. “I don’t want to lose sight of that.”
As for his encounter with Nicole Kidman, Mescal admitted that it was a moment he would never forget. “It was definitely one of the weirdest experiences of my life,” he said with a laugh. “But it was also really cool. I mean, I met Nicole Kidman in her underwear. How many people can say that?”