Paul Mescal is an Irish actor, renowned for his outstanding performances in various projects, including the critically acclaimed miniseries Normal People, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Before embarking on his acting career, Mescal had a successful stint as an under-21 Gaelic footballer for County Kildare and a member of Maynooth Football Club, where he played as a defender. His former coach, Cian O'Neill, praised Mescal, describing him as "very mature for someone so young. Physically, he was very strong. He was an exceptional scorer." However, a jaw injury forced Mescal to give up Gaelic football.
Mescal's academic pursuits led him to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from The Lir Academy, Trinity College University in Dublin, in 2017.
In 2019, Mescal began his acting career with a guest appearance in the pilot episode of the television series 'Bump'.
In 2020, Mescal landed his first leading roles, playing Connell Waldron in the series 'Normal People' alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sean McKeogh in the series 'The Deceived'.
In 2021, Mescal made his feature film debut in Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Lost Daughter', portraying an Irish beach attendant working in Greece.
In 2023, Mescal received a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars for his leading role in the feature film 'Aftersun' by Charlotte Wells. Additionally, he landed the lead role in 'Gladiator 2' by Ridley Scott, with filming set to commence in June 2023.
