Paul Mescal has singled out Anthony Hopkins' 1993 performance in *The Remains of the Day* as a masterclass in restrained acting that he never tires of watching. The Irish actor, known for his own understated style since his breakthrough in *Normal People*, sees Hopkins as the ultimate practitioner of conveying emotion through what remains unsaid, an approach Mescal has consciously drawn on in his own work, including his role in *All of Us Strangers*.

In interviews with A.frame and Vogue, Mescal explained that Hopkins' portrayal of repressed butler James Stevens resonated with him as a study of emotional suppression particularly associated with men, calling it "deeply sad and frustrating" to watch. He noted parallels with his own character Harry in *All of Us Strangers*, where he similarly had to project outward warmth while masking inner turmoil, describing it as using "forward pressure to hide what's going on beneath the surface" in service of the story.