- He’s currently starring in theaters worldwide in Gladiator II
- But what did we see Paul Mescal in before the blockbuster?
- Pubity.com takes a look at some of Paul Mescal’s greatest roles so far
As Gladiator II hit theaters across the US on November 22, Paul Mescal was rocketed to superstardom.
The Irish actor plays the lead role of Lucius in the movie, opposite stars such as Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal.
But while Gladiator II may be his first major blockbuster, Mescal is far from a newbie in the industry – and, at the age of just 28, he even already has an Oscar nomination under his belt.
Pubity.com takes a look at some of Mescal’s greatest roles so far…
Normal People (2020)
Playing the part of Connell Waldron, Normal People was Mescal’s breakout performance.
Based on the novel by Irish author Sally Rooney, the actor starred opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones, who played his love interest and friend Marianne Sheridan in the Hulu series. It follows the pair as they navigate adulthood from their final days in secondary school to their undergraduate years in Trinity College.
The show was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and met with critical acclaim, and Mescal won a BAFTA for his performance as Connell.
But perhaps his greatest takeaway from the project is his friendship with Edgar-Jones – and the star revealed last week that the pair are “always flirting” with the idea of working together again.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
As Mescal’s feature debut, he took on the supporting role of Will in The Lost Daughter – a young man who is working at a Greek beach house, and having an affair with a married woman, played by Dakota Johnson.
Hailed as a “memorable and mature performance”, Mescal was also praised as part of an “impressive Greek chorus” alongside Johnson, Ed Harris and Jessie Buckley, with Olivia Colman in the lead role.
All Of Us Strangers (2024)
All of Us Strangers explored queer identity and the complex emotional pain that stemmed from childhood grief and the things left unsaid.
Starring opposite Andrew Scott, audiences were stunned by the chemistry between the Fleabag actor and Mescal, as they played lovers in this mature LGBTQ+ film.
Like his friendship with Edgar-Jones, Mescal has also remained fast friends with Scott – with the pair delighting fans when they reunited on the red carpet of the Gladiator II premiere.
Aftersun (2022)
While it may be worlds away from the macho energy of Gladiator II, it was Aftersun for which Mescal received his Oscar nomination.
While he didn’t walk away with the Academy Award, the movie struck a chord with audiences, thanks to Mescal’s masterful use of subtlety and ability to express emotional pain.
A semi-autobiographical story for director Charlotte Wells, the emotional heft of the father and daughter relationship in Aftersun felt real and gut-wrenchingly painful.
Aftersun was nominated for the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, and has since been cited as among the best films of the 2020s.
Foe (2023)
Mescal has also starred on the big screen alongside another Irish actor – Saoirse Ronan.
Just as they did with Scott, critics praised their chemistry in the psychological science fiction movie.
While it may not have reached the dizzying heights of Aftersun critical acclaim, Mescal and Ronan are said to “hold the film together, as both actors stay organic and grounded amid all the craziness that keeps happening around them.”
