Paul Mescal is an Irish actor who gained international recognition with the television series Normal People and the critically acclaimed film Aftersun, and most recently starred in the lead role of Ridley Scott’s epic sequel Gladiator II.

Paul Mescal was born on February 2, 1996, in Maynooth, Ireland, as the son of a police officer and a teacher. He has one brother named Donnacha and one sister named Nell. He graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Acting from The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin.

Before pursuing acting professionally, Paul Mescal was an under-21 Gaelic football player in County Kildare and a member of the Maynooth Football Club, where he played as a defender. Following a serious jaw injury, he was forced to quit football, which ultimately redirected his focus toward acting.

After graduating from drama school in 2017, Paul Mescal received offers for two stage productions: Angela’s Ashes and The Great Gatsby. He appeared in the latter, portraying Jay Gatsby at Dublin’s Gate Theatre. In the same year, he played the Prince in a contemporary adaptation of The Red Shoes based on the work of Hans Christian Andersen, again at the Gate Theatre.

In 2018, Paul Mescal performed as Lieutenant Langon in productions of The Plough and the Stars at the Lyric Theatre in London and the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. That same year, he appeared as Bryan in the world premiere of Asking for It, written by Louise O’Neill.

His on-screen career began in 2019 with an appearance in the pilot episode of the television series Bump. Around the same period, Paul Mescal gained unexpected public attention after appearing in a commercial for the sausage brand Denny, which became highly popular and earned him the nickname “Sausage Paul.”

Paul Mescal continued to build his stage reputation with the Rough Magic Theatre Company, appearing in productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man for the Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Dublin Theatre Festival. In 2020, he appeared in The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin.

In 2020, Paul Mescal achieved international fame with his first major television role opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People, adapted from the novel by Sally Rooney. His portrayal of Connell Waldron received widespread critical acclaim and established him as a major emerging talent.

He made his feature film debut in 2021 in The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, where he starred alongside Dakota Johnson as an Irish beach worker in Greece. In 2022, he appeared in several films, including God’s Creatures, Aftersun, and Carmen.

Paul Mescal received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his leading role in Aftersun, directed by Charlotte Wells, marking a significant milestone in his career. A skilled pianist, Mescal currently resides in London.

In 2024, Paul Mescal starred in Gladiator II, directed by Ridley Scott, playing the role of Lucius. The film’s production began in June 2023 and further cemented his position as a leading actor in international cinema.

Awards:
2020 – Gold Derby TV Awards, Breakthrough Performer of the Year (Normal People)
2020 – Gold Derby TV Awards, Drama Actor (Normal People)
2020 – GQ Men of the Year Awards, Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor
2020 – Digital Spy TV Awards, Rising Star (Normal People)

Theatre Productions:
2017 – The Great Gatsby – Gate Theatre, Dublin
2017–2018 – The Red Shoes – Gate Theatre, Dublin
2018 – The Plough and the Stars – Lyric Theatre, London; Gaiety Theatre, Dublin
2018 – Asking for It – Abbey Theatre, Dublin
2018 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny Arts Festival
2018 – A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire; Dublin Theatre Festival
2020 – The Lieutenant of Inishmore – Gaiety Theatre, Dublin

Films and Television:
2017 – Happyish (Short Film)
2019 – Bump (Matt Leary) (TV Series)
2020 – Drifting (Cian) (Short Film)
2020 – Normal People (Connell Waldron) (TV Series)
2020 – The Deceived (Sean McKeogh) (TV Series)
2021 – The Lost Daughter (Will) (Feature Film)
2022 – God’s Creatures (Brian O’Hara) (Feature Film)
2022 – Aftersun (Calum) (Feature Film)
2022 – Carmen (Aidan) (Feature Film)
2023 – All of Us Strangers (Harry) (Feature Film)
2023 – Foe / The Enemy (Junior) (Feature Film)
2024 – Hamnet (William Shakespeare) (Feature Film)
2024 – The History of Sound (Lionel) (Feature Film)
2024 – Gladiator II (Lucius) (Feature Film)
2024 – Merrily We Roll Along (Franklin Shepard) (Feature Film)

Source: Biyografiler.com