Paul McCartney has one issue with how he’s portrayed in Sam Mendes’ upcoming biopics, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.
During an appearance on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, McCartney expressed one frustration about the way he’s often portrayed on screen.
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“We were all the same height!” he exclaimed. “We were all the same height, and Ringo [Starr] was a bit smaller. And if you look at photos, we’re all the same height.”
Sam Taylor-Johnson’s 2010 film, Nowhere Boy, was the first time McCartney took issue with how his height was shown.
“The John [Lennon] character… he’s bigger than me in the film,” McCartney complained. “My character is kind of wimpy, smaller than John. John knocks me to the floor. It’s like, ‘Sam, this is not true.’”
As for Taylor-Johnson’s explanation, McCartney recalled her saying, “This is a movie. It’s not a documentary.”
“I said, ‘Mm. Well, I don’t like that explanation,’” McCartney said. “But I couldn’t do anything, because by [then] she’d made the film. There was I, little Paul. John, the great big hero. It’s like, ‘No! It’s not true.’”
Paul McCartney Addresses Sam Mendes’ Upcoming Beatles Biopic
Flash forward 16 years, and Mendes’ films are in production. Paul Mescal is set to portray McCartney in the movies, while Harris Dickinson playing Lennon, Barry Keoghan starring as Starr, and Joseph Quinn taking on the role of George Harrison.
Much to McCartney’s display, Mescal “is smaller than” Dickinson.
“I said, ‘Sam, I’ve got just one thing that I need to say to you. You know, Paul’s a bit smaller [than John],’” McCartney recalled. “I don’t know how Sam’s going to deal with it.”
McCartney’s worse fears were realized when Mendes sent him a picture of the guys filming on Abbey Road.
“The Paul character is markedly smaller!” he exclaimed. “I texted him, ‘Sam! Smaller! Don’t do this! You said you wouldn’t!’ He said, ‘No, it’s OK. It’s just the stride pattern.’ He sent me an other one when they were equal.”
Fans will have to wait a while to see how McCartney’s height stacks up on screen. The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event isn’t due to be released until April 2028.
Photo by Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images
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