The History of Sound star Josh O’Connor has shared new details about his sex scene with Paul Mescal.
On 12 September, moviegoers in the US will finally be treated to the highly anticipated gay drama.
Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Mary & George), The History of Sound follows the relationship between David (Paul Mescal) and Lionel (Josh O’Connor), who meet in 1917 as students at the Boston Music Conservatory.
Three years later, after World War I, they travel through rural Maine to record the folk songs of their countrymen.
The historical romantic drama is based on the Pushcart Prize-winning novel by Ben Shattuck, a collection of 12 short stories set across three centuries that explore generational patterns of love and loss.
On 1 September, The History of Sound was shown at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. Following its screening, attendees were treated to a Q&A session with Mescal and O’Connor.
During their appearance, the two stars dished about all things The History of Sound, including the messy filming process for their spit-inclusive sex scene.
“We were kind of keeping ourselves separate, really into our characters. And then we did the first take, and it was the spit [scene], and it just dribbled down my… and Paul was just like waiting,” O’Connor explained while opening his mouth as an example.
@coffeefrijolito This just made me buy tickets to opening night! 😩 #joshoconnor #paulmescal #thehistoryofsound #spitscene #fyp ♬ original sound – fortheculture
Of course, the story was a hit with fans, who flocked to social media to share their hilarious reactions.
One person on X/Twitter wrote: “And just like that, The History of Sound has moved up to of the top of my most anticipated list.“
Another Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor enthusiast commented: “Wow, I love actors who really put their all into their work— SAVE ME A SEAT. FRONT ROW. FIRST SHOWING. SURROUND SOUND. 3D.”
A third fan wrote: “God, I’ve seen what you’ve done for others and I am envious.“
While we now know that The History of Sound will feature O’Connor spitting in Mescal’s mouth, viewers shouldn’t expect heaps of explicit content.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hermanus confirmed that the film will include sex scenes, though they are sparse due to him wanting to avoid framing them as a “transgression”. He stressed that he didn’t want to draw attention to the fact that “these two men are taking the risk of being sexual“ in a pre-progressive era.
“Ben wrote it in a way where there was no hesitation, no moment of fear. For me, the sex scene is when Lionel is walking around David’s apartment the morning after [their first encounter], and he’s smelling everything and sitting everywhere,“ he explained. “He’s absorbing the energy of this person.”
In the same interview, Mescal added: “There is a kind of real sense of companionship, and the joy and loss that comes with the presence and absence of that. It’s not just about sex and the intensity of falling in love. It’s deeper than that.”
The History of Sound also stars Chris Cooper (Little Women), Molly Price (Third Watch), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), Hadley Robinson (Moxie), Emma Canning (Dune: Prophecy), Brianna Middleton (The Inheritance) and Gary Raymond (The Cedar Tree).
Check out a clip from the film here or below.
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