Who is Paul Mescal? Meet the Oscar-nominated actor

On January 24, the nominations for the 2023 Oscar awards were announced. Each time there are surprises on the list: films that fail to make it to the selection despite the fact that various forecasts placed them there or, well, choices that no one saw coming. This edition is no exception. The Irishman Paul Mescal entered the shortlist for Best Actor, thanks to his performance in the film aftersun. And, since it is a category that shares with names like Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser or Austin Butler, it is worth asking: who is paul mescal?

Paul Mescal in Normal People

Paul kicked off his acting career on stage and even starred in a popular sausage commercial in 2018. However, 2020 was the year in which he obtained international recognition, thanks to the premiere of the series normal people. This BBC and Hulu production is an adaptation of the successful novel of the same name written by Sally Rooney. The plot follows Connell (Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young adult couple who must navigate family problems and socioeconomic differences while dealing with their feelings for each other.

The series got an excellent response from the audience and critics, and the performance of Paul Mescal, who was only 24 years old, was one of the highlights of it. Mescal took home BAFTA nominations and awards for his performance..

Paul understands how that rung in his career changed everything. In interview with G.Q. mentioned:

“There were a lot of positive responses when the Show premiered, and I can assure that both [su coprotagonista, Daisy Edgar-Jones, y él] We worked very hard to bring those characters to life, for the sake of the production, but also for the sake of our careers. We knew how much it would mean, honestly. We understood the importance and size of the job and that our relatively new careers would be judged by it in a very public arena.”

Consolidation of a career

Indeed, normal people it put him in the crosshairs of the industry. A short time later – in 2021 to be precise – he appeared in the film the dark daughteralong with Olivia Colman and Dakota Johnson under the direction of Maggie Gyllenhaal. In it, the actor played a young hotel worker, who even has a flirtation scene with Colman’s character.

Paul himself mentioned how surprised he was when he was offered to be in the production:

“It was definitely one of those great moments in my life. When you get the call and it’s like Maggie Gyllenhaal wants you to be in her movie and you’re shooting in Greece, and Jessie [Buckely] will be there and Olivia [Colman] will be there and Dakota [Johnson] will be there”.

Later, the actor also participated in the drama God’s Creatures, next to Emily Watson. This production was chosen in the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Your work in aftersunhowever, earned him his first Oscar nomination this year. Directed by Charlotte Wells, its plot follows a father (played by Mescal), who decides to celebrate his 31st birthday with a vacation in the company of his daughter (played by Frankie Corio).

ANDThe public and critics accepted the film very well. It has received several nominations (including BAFTAs), recognizing the work of its director, Wells, and Mescal in the lead.

In a chat with The Washington Postthe actor mentioned the affection he has for his character:

“It may sound strange, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt so connected to a character. […] I care about this man. I think I can represent you honestly. I feel a lot of compassion and sadness for him and I want him to keep fighting, for many things, but fighting in general.”

Early life

The 26-year-old actor was born in Ireland and initially had no plans to become an actor. In fact, was interested in pursuing a professional soccer career.

“When I was young, Gaelic football was what I was good at. But, my school has this amazing rule where everyone has to audition for the school musical during their fourth year. It was a big one –The Phantom of the Opera– and ended up playing the Ghost. That probably changed my life,” she mentioned in an interview with W Magazine.

He studied acting at Dublin University, and since graduation he has worked in various plays such as The Great Gatsby.

Upcoming projects for Paul Mescal

In addition to finding out if he will win the Oscar on March 12, we will be able to see him again in the sequel to Gladiatorthe 2000 film directed by Ridley Scott, where he will give life to Lucio, the nephew of the character played by Joaquín Phoenix more than 20 years ago.

We can also see him in the movie “Foe” next to Saoirse Ronan. It is an Amazon Studios production, directed by Garth Davis, based on the novel of the same name. It is a science fiction thriller set in the future, in which the planet suffers a strong environmental deterioration.

We will have to keep track of this actor, who has already conquered the Hollywood industry at his young age.