Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor Casting in 'The History of Sound' Explained by Director Oliver Hermanus
Director Oliver Hermanus shares how Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor joined ‘The History of Sound’, premiering at Cannes.
Paul Mescal and 
Josh O’Connor star in The History of Sound, directed by Oliver Hermanus and shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The film follows Lionel, a singer from Kentucky, and David, whom he meets at the Boston Music Conservatory in 1920. Their romance is brief but significant, shaped by David’s drafting into war.
In an interview with Variety, Hermanus described how both actors joined the project: “Josh and I have the same agents in the U.K., and he read the short story around the same time as I did.” He also recalled casting Mescal: “I met Paul when I cast him in Living, which he wound up not having time to do.”
Discussing their rising profiles, Hermanus noted, “Their careers have obviously skyrocketed,” and explained how the film came together just in time: “Miraculously, this came together before they got way too old to play these roles.”
Joining Mescal and O’Connor in The History of Sound are 
Molly Price as Lionel’s mother, 
Raphael Sbarge as Lionel Sr., 
Hadley Robinson as Belle and Emma Canning as Clarissa, among others.
The History of Sound premieres on May 21, 2025, at the Cannes Film Festival.