- Paul Mescal shot to fame overnight, when Normal People was released in 2020
- The actor has since deleted his social media accounts
- But what has Mescal said about his decision to live offline? Here’s what we know
Paul Mescal has had a meteoric rise to fame.
Until 2020, the actor, 29, was just a regular guy from Maynooth, Ireland – and then came his breakthrough on the hit Hulu series, Normal People.
While it’s not unusual for celebrities to be fiercely private about their personal lives, Mescal has gone one step further – by deactivating his Instagram account.
But what has the Gladiator II star said about shying away from the spotlight? Here’s what we know.
Did Paul Mescal ever have an Instagram account?
Yes! Mescal’s account is still searchable on the app – and can be found at @bigbreadpedlar.
While the account still has 125k followers, it has been private for around two years – although those who made it through the vetting process say that it was “never super front-facing” adding “he never even allowed comments on his posts”.
Some speculated that Mescal made his account private after rumors recirculated about his ex-girlfriend Phoebe Bridgers and The 1975 singer Matty Healy – but the actor doesn’t cite that as a reason.
Why did Paul Mescal deactivate his Instagram account?
Towards the end of January, Mescal appeared on The Louis Theroux podcast – and the journalist got him to open up about his feelings towards social media.
The Oscar-nominee revealed that he was fully off socials thanks to the pressure to post film trailers and photoshoots, making him feel like a “commodity”.
Does Paul Mescal have any other Instagram accounts?
It’s not the first time Mescal has deleted his social media apps, though.
Prior to @bigbreadpedlar, Mescal had another account – which he deactivated in 2021, after Normal People shot him to stardom at a dizzying rate.
He told The Guardian, “I just don’t think it’s particularly useful for people to see, like, literally you,” while making a box shape of his hands and framing his face.
“I thought it’s either get off the bus now or stay on it, and I wanted to get off. In 10 years I might rue the day I threw out my social media, but look, it just is what it is.”
It is not known exactly when Paul, who had more than a million followers, deactivated his account – but his profile became absent on Instagram in April 2021.
At the time, a source told The Sun, “Paul deactivated his Instagram account because it just became a drain. He felt like he was wasting time on there. Reading the comments is no good for anyone’s mental health.
“There are more important things going on in his life and he wants to focus his energy into his personal life and his work, he doesn’t need social media for that. He’s a private guy and doesn’t feel the need to share everything online.”
The source added that Mescal doesn’t feel it is “worthwhile” to cash in on “lucrative offers” from brands where he reportedly could have charged a whopping six-figures.
What else has Paul Mescal said about his Instagram account?
In December 2021, Mescal spoke to Glamour about his “overnight” rise to fame.
“It’s an amazing privilege to have a platform like that and it did kind of happen overnight,” he admitted. “It was going from 1000 followers, to a couple of 100 thousand. It’s amazing.
“I get the most joy out of it in terms of that is that it is coming from people who saw Normal People and really related to it. But it’s also important to acknowledge that I think we do live in an age where we can become obsessed with that.”
Mescal added, “As time has gone by this year, I’ve learned a lot in terms of needing to step away from those things. Nobody’s going to remember your Instagram following. It’s not going to be written on your tombstone.”
Are there any accounts to update us on all things Paul Mescal?
Aside from here at Pubity.com (you’re welcome), there are plenty of fan accounts on social media that are up to date with all things Mescal.
One of them is @paulmescalpics, which has 236k followers.
During his press tour for Gladiator II, Mescal delighted the account’s owner – as they went head-to-head in a quiz about the actor’s own life.
Super-fan Larissa was invited to participate in the game show, where they would each try to be the first to answer basic biographical questions about Mescal’s life… and she shocked her idol by winning!
