Paul Mescal has become both an internet friend and an Oscar nominee within just four years of his film debut.
The Irish actor first appeared in an episode of the 2019 TV series “Bump” and then starred in the limited series “Normal People” based on the novel by Sally Rooney. Mescal played the high school jock, and Connell became a brooding college student, simultaneously courting and waiting for his classmate, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones). While memes of Mescal-as-Connell’s chain necklace went viral at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (and earned Mescal an Emmy nomination), the actor appeared in music videos for the Rolling Stones and Phoebe Bridgers ahead of an explosive 2022 with three features. , nominated for one of the Oscars.
“There were a lot of looks (‘Normal People’) in a concentrated amount of time,” Mescal told IndieWire’s Anne Thompson in 2020. “As a result, the fan reaction on social media, which was huge and immediate, was not something. I have already met. It was exciting and terrifying how far-reaching the show was so quickly.”
He added: “The important thing is that I don’t think my taste has changed, post the look. We’re looking for more focused scripts, going after filmmakers we want to work with, rather than cashing in on the success of ‘Normal People.”
As Mescal dodges questions about the MCU and hit it big with Ridley Scoot’s ‘Gladiator’ sequel, it’s clear he’s far from a ‘normal’ man. Plus, let’s not forget a viral West End turn in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which (literally) sets the scene for several musical adaptations.
Keep scrolling to see what’s in Mescal.
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