'Don’t do this!' Why Paul McCartney cares about looking shorter than John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ Beatles films
You’re Paul McCartney. So how come you’re still getting het up at a fictional version of you being marginally smaller than a fictional version of John Lennon?
TL;DR
- Paul McCartney has voiced concerns to director Sam Mendes about the depiction of his height relative to John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopics.
- McCartney was prompted to text Mendes after seeing images from the Abbey Road album cover recreation, where the actor playing Lennon appeared taller than the actor playing McCartney.
- This issue of perceived height difference between McCartney and Lennon has persisted since the 1960s, appearing in the Beatles cartoon series and the film Nowhere Boy.
- McCartney has made efforts to reframe his legacy, moving away from being seen as Lennon's junior partner, notably by changing song credits and through recent projects like Get Back.
- McCartney views ensuring he is not depicted as shorter than Lennon in the biopics as crucial for securing his legacy, especially if these films become the definitive visual representation for a generation.