Paul Mescal is ready to start "rationing" his work

He told The Guardian newspaper: "I'm five or six years into this now, and I feel very lucky. But I'm also learning that I don't think I can go on doing it as much."

Asked if he means rationing himself, he said: "I think so. I'm gonna have to start doing that. For sure..

"Rationing doesn't necessarily mean less. It means learning that films like The History of Sound take more out of the well. You can't keep going back and expect to consistently deliver something you're proud of.

"What that rationing looks like, I don't know. I miss being on stage, so I might have a time when I'm only doing theatre for a couple of years.

"I also have different priorities in my personal life that I want to attend to."

The Aftersun actor admitted there is a "great fear" that taking time off means he'll no longer be as in demand as he is now.

He said: "That's the great fear. But what's the alternative? I don't want to resent the thing I love. This sounds bold, but I'd rather not be on the train if that is the choice."

His History of Sound co-star Josh O'Connor - who also admitted he is keen to "take some time off too" - added: "The nightmare is resenting the work.

"Also, the more we see of an actor, the harder it is for that actor to pull the wool over your eyes and convince you they're someone else."

Paul will now be part of the awards season campaigning for his movie Hamnet but is hoping to step out of the spotlight for some time after that while working on the Beatles biopics, in which he will play Sir Paul McCartney.

He said: "Once I've finished promoting that, I hope nobody gets to see me until 2028 when I'm doing the Beatles. People will get a break from me and I'll get a break from them."

The Normal People star is filming Richard Linklater's Merrily We Roll Along across several decades and joked about keeping a low profile until it is finally released in around 15 years.

He quipped: "Can you imagine?"

Josh added: "People will be, like: 'Why did they cast that absolute nobody in this movie? Remember when he talked about rationing - and then no one ever saw him again?'"