McCartney challenges Beatles film’s depiction of Lennon as taller
Paul McCartney says he contacted director Sam Mendes after a photograph from the forthcoming Beatles films appeared to show actor Harris Dickinson, playing John Lennon, taller than Paul Mescal, playing McCartney. McCartney says the two Beatles were roughly the same height and joked that Mendes had promised not to make him look smaller; the director replied that the apparent difference came from their strides.
The article places the exchange within McCartney’s long-running concern that he is portrayed as Lennon’s lesser partner. It recalls earlier depictions of him as shorter or less significant, and his efforts to highlight his role in the band, including disputes over songwriting credits and later reassessments of the Get Back footage. Mendes reportedly sent McCartney another image showing the actors at equal height, and McCartney’s objection is presented as a small but telling concern about how his legacy is represented.
- McCartney challenged a Beatles film image that made him look shorter than Lennon.
- He says he and Lennon were roughly the same height.
- The exchange reflects his concern over how their partnership is portrayed.
New here? Start with this
The Beatles were a British band whose members included John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Lennon and McCartney wrote many of the group’s songs together, and their partnership became central to the band’s story.
The pair’s contributions have been discussed and portrayed in films and documentaries over the years. Questions about who wrote which songs, and how the two men are shown in relation to each other, can affect how audiences understand their roles and legacies.
A set of forthcoming films about the Beatles is being made by director Sam Mendes. Harris Dickinson plays Lennon and Paul Mescal plays McCartney.
Art Culture Entertainment Film
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “‘Don’t do this!’ Why Paul McCartney cares about looking shorter than John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ Beatles films”.