Paul Mescal

"We are still navigating, as men, how to be vulnerable. Time and time again, men are told vulnerability is a weakness and not what society requires of them, so it’s difficult to reach out for help". Paul Mescal, an Irish actor born in Maynooth in 1996, first made his acting breakthrough in Dublin theater productions, but rose to fame with his role as Connell in the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's "Normal People," which won him a BAFTA for Best Actor. As a graduate of Trinity College's Lir Academy, Mescal's portrayal of Connell resonated deeply, drawing on his own experiences of identity crisis during his college years through an authentic depiction of adolescent relationships and mental health. Mescal challenged himself from Maggie Gyllenhaal's "A Streetcar Named Desire" to Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Lost Daughter" to A24's "Aftersun," about a depressed father's journey with his vacationing daughter, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Quiet, magnetic, collaborative and instinctive, he gravitates toward roles that explore the extremes and essence of vitality, brutality and the psychological health of masculinity, as in 2024's "We Are All Strangers." Mescal has also garnered attention for his distinctive style, and despite his accolades, he continues to maintain a humble stance and finds great joy in the collaborative process of creating something meaningful alongside a team.