'I'm right for this - I want to grab it by the horns and run with it'

Hamnet actor Paul Mescal on playing a grief-stricken William Shakespeare in his new film, why he knew the demanding role was for him and starring alongside the “brilliant” Jessie Buckley

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From a musclebound Lucius Verus in Gladiator II to a mop-topped Paul McCartney in the forthcoming Beatles biopics, Irish heartthrob Paul Mescal could never be accused of shying away from adventurous film choices.

Best known for playing the dreamy-but-damaged Connell in BBC drama Normal People, Paul admits his latest role may be his most emotionally demanding yet. In new film Hamnet, he plays a grief-stricken William Shakespeare, navigating unimaginable loss after the death of his 11-year-old son.

Based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel of the same name, the historical drama explores Shakespeare's marriage to wife Anne Hathaway - named Agnes in the book and played on screen by