Paul Mescal pays tribute to his mother battling cancer in emotional Olivier Award acceptance speech
LONDON, ENGLAND: Irish actor Paul Mescal delivered an emotionally-charged acceptance speech as he received his Olivier Award for his role in the Best Revival category-winning play, 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' at London's Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night.
With tears welling up in his eyes, the 27-year-old actor paid a heartwarming tribute to his mother, Dearbhla, who is currently undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of bone marrow cancer. Mescal expressed his heartfelt desire for his mother's speedy recovery, saying, "I hope you get better." Starting his speech, Mescal thanked his team, the drama school in Dublin that he attended, and the fellow actors who shared the stage with him. He concluded his heartfelt speech by thanking his parents, who he credited with never saying no to him. With sincerity in his voice, he added, "To my dad and mum - I hope you get better soon - thank you very much." After accepting his award, Mescal spoke to reporters backstage, expressing hope that his win would provide some solace for his ailing mother and his father who has been caring for her. In his own words, "My mum and dad are at home. My mum's unwell at the moment, so hopefully it'll give her a little bit of a lift and dad as well who is looking after her."
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His mother's cancer diagnosis
Mescal's outstanding performance as Stanley Kowalski in a sold-out run at the Almeida Theatre earned him the gong. However, the news was overshadowed by the revelation of his mother Dearbhla's cancer diagnosis, disclosed by Mescal's sister Nell in a tweet shortly after Mescal's nomination for an Oscar for 'Aftersun.' In the tweet, Nell shared that their mother had cut her hair in preparation for chemotherapy, stating, "My mum got a haircut today in prep for her chemotherapy and then Mescal got nominated for an Oscar life is so crazy."
Dearbhla also addressed her diagnosis on social media, sharing her decision to 'live with cancer.' In a heartfelt message to her followers, the primary school teacher said, "I have decided that I am going to cut my hair short today – as a first cut and then the next cut will be the short, short, short cut – the hospital short cut." She acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, "I know what's ahead because I have been informed by my wonderful team and I want to be ready so that when I'm in the hospital I'm only concentrating on that battle. This is the final stage for me to start living with this cancer."
Olivier Awards 2023: Other notable winners
At the Olivier Awards, several notable performances and productions were recognized for their excellence. Jodie Comer's powerful one-woman show, 'Prima Facie' was awarded Best New Play while Anjana Vasan was named Best Supporting Actress for her impressive portrayal of Stella Kowalski in 'Streetcar.' Will Keen was honored as Best Support Actor for his compelling performance in 'Patriots,' a thought-provoking exploration of Russian dissidence by Peter Morgan, the creator of 'The Crown.'
Arthur Darvill of 'Doctor Who' was awarded Best Actor in a musical for his role in 'Oklahoma!' a dark and provocative reimagining of the classic 1943 Rodgers & Hammerstein production. Katie Brayben was named Best Actress for her captivating portrayal of televangelist Tammy Faye in the self-titled show. The award for Best Director went to Phelim McDermott for his adaptation of Studio Ghibli's beloved 1988 animated film, My Neighbor Totoro. In addition, the highly coveted Best Entertainment or Comedy award named after the legendary actor and writer Noel Coward went to this same production.