Irish actor Paul Mescal spoke as Gaeilge in an interview with TG4 on the red carpet of the BAFTAs in London on Sunday night. 

Mescal, who was nominated for Leading Actor at the BAFTAs, gave an impromptu interview with TG4's Caitlín Nic Aoidh, earning praise for being able to hold his own in the conversation despite being somewhat rusty. 

Mescal spoke about his role in "Aftersun" for which he received a BAFTA and Academy Award nomination, while he also discussed the critically-acclaimed Irish-language film "An Cailín Ciún", which received nominations for best foreign language film at the BAFTAs and the Oscars. 

The Irish actor described the film as one of the films of the year, paying compliments to director Colm Barréad. 

He also spoke about how the film interested him in making an Irish-language film. 

Nuair a bhíonn Gaeilge Dhún na nGall ag an scrúdaitheoir! 😅 #BAFTAs #EEBAFTAs pic.twitter.com/yrkRvS2NJS

— TG4TV🪬 (@TG4TV) February 19, 2023

Unfortunately, both Mescal and "An Cailín Ciún" left the BAFTAs empty-handed, with Mescal losing out to "Elvis" star Austin Butler in the Leading Actor category. 

"An Cailín Ciún", meanwhile, lost out to the all-conquering German-language anti-war epic "All Quiet on the Western Front", which went home with seven BAFTAs, a record haul for a foreign language film. 

Elsewhere, "The Banshees of Inisherin" ensured there was some Irish success at the BAFTAs. 

The film took home four awards, including Best Original Screenplay and Outstanding British Film. Although the film is set in Ireland and features an Irish cast, it is produced by British company Film4 and qualifies as British. 

Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon took home Best Supporting Actor and Actress respectively for their outstanding performances in the film.