Paul McCartney Furious Over Height in Sam Mendes' Beatles Film: 'Don't Do It!'

Paul McCartney is back in the spotlight, not for new music but for his reaction to Sam Mendes' Beatles biopic project. On a recent episode of Amy Poehler's podcast, McCartney revealed that he had texted Mendes to protest the portrayal of his height as shorter than John Lennon's. The message read, "Sam! Shorter? Don't do this! You said you wouldn't do it!"

McCartney's annoyance surfaced after photos circulated of the actors playing The Beatles in the iconic Abbey Road album cover scene. In the photos, Harris Dickinson, who plays Lennon, appears taller than Paul Mescal, who plays McCartney. According to McCartney, Mendes replied by explaining that the height difference was purely due to the position of their feet mid-stride, and he even sent another photo showing the two at equal height. But for McCartney, this is not just about camera perspective.

McCartney insists that he, Lennon, and George Harrison were roughly the same height, while Ringo Starr was slightly shorter. He admits he is still bothered by the film Nowhere Boy (2009), which depicted him as smaller and weaker beside Lennon. The perception that McCartney was the "smaller half" of the Lennon-McCartney duo has long been entrenched, even since the 1960s Beatles cartoon series that consistently portrayed him as shorter.

McCartney's effort to correct the historical narrative is nothing new. In 2002, he released the live album Back in the US and changed the credits of 19 songs from "Lennon-McCartney" to "Paul McCartney and John Lennon". The move triggered a legal threat from Yoko Ono, and the next edition reverted to the original credits. In recent years, however, McCartney has scored a win with Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary, which shifted his image from "interloper" to "the Beatles' mainstay", as well as the single Now and Then, which Harrison had vetoed but was finally released after his death.

"Sam! Shorter? Don't do this! You said you wouldn't do it!" — Paul McCartney, in his text message to Sam Mendes.

For McCartney, height appears to be the last hurdle in his effort to cement his legacy. If this biopic succeeds, those actors in wigs and odd facial makeup will become the enduring representation of The Beatles for future generations. Even the smallest inaccuracy, including height, could rewrite history. McCartney does not want his tombstone to read "Composer and musician (slightly shorter than John Lennon)".

Though it may seem petty, McCartney's unease reflects a long battle against Lennon's shadow, which has long dominated the narrative. It is a legend's attempt to control his own legacy, down to the smallest detail. The question is, how far may an artist intervene in the artistic interpretation of himself? And will Sam Mendes be able to balance McCartney's demands with his creative vision?