WILL MAMMY MESCAL GET TO GO TO THE OSCARS?
Mother of star Paul reveals plans to be in LA despite cancer fight
PAUL Mescal’s mother Dearbhla has revealed she hopes to be her son’s guest at the Oscars in March as she opened up about her battle with cancer.
Normal People star Paul was one of an astounding 14 Irish nominations for the Academy Awards revealed on Tuesday.
He got the nod in the Best Actor category for his role as a father struggling with his mental health while on holiday in Charlotte Welles’ indie-favourite Aftersun.
And with the 95th Academy Awards taking place on Sunday, March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Paul’s mother might just be joining him.
She said: ‘If everything goes okay, I just might be [at the ceremony]. If not, I hope to be there with my fluffy socks, an infinity pool, sit down and watch it on a TV screen.
‘I’d like to be on that side of the world, I’d like to be near him,’ she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
Paul’s musician sister Nell told fans that her brother’s success came on the same day their mother cut her hair in preparation for chemotherapy. Dearbhla said of her situation: ‘I am waiting for the next stage. I have multiple myeloma. I’m just waiting for that next stage.
‘It all depends, but life is good. Life is pretty magical right now. You can take the hits when things are good around you.’
On hearing of her son’s nomination, Dearbhla said: ‘It’s been a whirlwind and when he said “it’s bananas”, it is actually. That’s a really good word, it sums up how you’re feeling and when you seen his face, how he felt in that moment. It’s a lot of weight, a lot of worry and weight. You just don’t know when it’s going to happen and when it does, it’s huge. It’s absolutely huge.’
While many were glued to the nomination ceremony, Dearbhla admitted she couldn’t bring herself to watch it live.
‘I’m not really good at championship football, I’m not good at watching rugby. My eyes are normally down and my ears are closed. No, I don’t watch them. It’s just too stressful because you’re up against such incredible talent... there’s only five, it’s crazy. To see who you’re with, what a night it’s going to be in March with all those Irish people. All that talent and the craic,’ she said.
Admitting that she still worries for her son following his quick rise to stardom, she said she’s delighted that Paul’s famous and local friends are there for him.
‘I’ve watched him gain more control of his own personal life within the whole madness of social media and the madness of the world. He’s got wonderful friends, lifelong friends he met through Normal People.
‘They were in London over the Christmas period, even though we weren’t there, we knew he had friends when this was all going on. He has fabulous friends from home, from football and the estate here.
‘It makes a huge difference growing up in a place where you’re part of a community. Maynooth was the place Paul [her husband and the actor’s father] settled. Our home and our children were very blessed to have grown up here,’ she said.
Speaking about the family’s WhatsApp group call together on Tuesday, she earlier said on the Ray D’Arcy show: ‘We had this
‘I’m so grateful and very, very proud’
magic WhatsApp, just shocked faces and crying eyes... wow... it’s just amazing.’
She added: ‘For everybody who has children away, family WhatsApp is just the business, and you do that video call and everyone can be on it.
‘For me, to see his face and to see him so shocked and so joyous, I’m so grateful.’
‘I’m very, very proud... you move mountains for them because you want them to achieve... you just want them to be as happy as they can be.’