The Truth About Paul Mescal

When it comes to rising stars, Irish actor Paul Mescal is definitely on the list of "ones to watch." The "Normal People" star (here's the end of the show explained for all of you who are heartbroken over the conclusion) grew up outside Dublin, Ireland playing Gaelic football and attending Trinity College's Lir Academy, where he graduated with a degree in drama in 2017 (via Vogue).

Mescal's professional acting career began with theater roles. He started off on a high note when he played Jay Gatsby in "The Great Gatsby" at Dublin's Gates Theatre, then headed to London, England to play the role of Lieutenant Langon in "The Plough And The Stars" (via The Belfast Telegraph).

Another high point of Mescal's theater career was "Asking For It," an adaptation of Louise O'Neill's novel about a teenage girl, Emma, who is ostracized and victim-blamed after being assaulted at a party. Mescal played Emma's supportive brother (via The Times) and earned high praise from critics for how he navigated the tough subject matter.

Paul Mescal starred alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones in "Normal People," an adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2018 novel which debuted on Hulu in April 2020. He was nominated for a number of prestigious awards for his performance including an Emmy, a BAFTA, and an MTV Movie & TV Award. Mescal also won a Gold Derby TV award (via IMDb). In August 2020, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Mescal had landed his first film role. He's set to star alongside Olivia Colman ("The Crown") in "The Lost Daughter," which will be directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Mescal also appeared in two high profile music videos in 2020. Per Town & Country, he starred in the music video for The Rolling Stones song "Scarlet." Although the video was shot in a socially distanced manner, Mescal still got the opportunity to participate in a live chat with the legendary Mick Jagger. Mescal also starred in a music video for Phoebe Bridgers' song "Savior Complex" and, per Hello!, it's rumored that the two are now an item.