The Gladiator II star made the startling confession in a recent interview.

In addition, he has a variety of interesting movies on the horizon, including Hamnet, The History of Sound and Merrily We Roll Along.

While speaking with GQ about the latter project—which is being filmed over 20 years—the Maynooth man, however, made a startling confession.

Explaining that he finds it difficult to look that far into the future, he said calmly: “I’ve always been convinced that I’m not going to live a long life."

When the journalist expressed shock at this confession, the Normal People star replied: “I know. People have this response, but in my head it’s never been drastic.

"It’s just like a gut feeling. And maybe it’s to do with the fact that I can’t visualize myself as an 80-year-old man.”

Upon GQ noting that he seems "strangely comfortable" with this idea, Mescal responded: “But I’m also afraid of death. So I think if death was to come for me at 55, I’d be equally afraid of it as I would be at 90.”

On where this gut feeling may come from, the actor added: “It’s always in my head. I was like: 'Going to have a family young. I’m going to not survive a long time.'

"Hopefully, I’m wrong. I think I will be wrong. But that’s just the truth around my brain.”

Gladiator II lands in Irish cinemas on 15 November.