Paul Mescal says he met Nicole Kidman in his ‘sweaty underwear’ after A Streetcar Named Desire performance

Paul Mescal has spoken about an unexpected visit he received from Nicole Kidman after performing in a London theatre.

The Irish actor is currently playing Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s revival of Tennessee William’s classic play, A Streetcar Named Desire.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday (2 March), Mescal recalled greeting the Australian actor in nothing but his “sweaty underwear” after the play one night.

“We heard a knock on the [dressing room] door, and we thought it was the stage manager or something, and I go to open the door,” the actor recalled, “and it’s Nicole Kidman, and I’m standing there in, like, sweaty underwear.”

“You’d think the next smart step is [to] put on some trousers, but there’s something incredibly undignified about the act of [pulling up trousers].”

“It’s not a look you want to be caught in, [bending] over,” he added.

Taking a shot at Kidman’s viral 2021 advert for AMC Theatres, Kimmel asked: “When Nicole Kidman is in her seat at a play, is she talking to the screen about the magic of film?”

Mescal is nominated for Best Actor for his role as a young father in Aftersun at the 95th Academy Awards, which Kimmel is hosting.

Mescal called the nomination an “insane honour” in a statement.

Find the full list of 2023 Oscar nominations here and this year’s biggest snubs and surprises here.

Meanwhile, Mescal’s theatrical turn as Stanley has been extended for a further six weeks. The production announced in January that it would be transferring to the West End after its initial run at the Almeida Theatre in North London.

The play will open at the Phoenix Theatre on 20 March and run until 29 April.

In her four-star review of the production, The Independent’s Jessie Thompson said Mescal’s Stanley “radiates with rage, wearing his psychopathy on his sleeve, with a menacing sexuality that could stop traffic”.