Paul Mescal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Mescal
Mescal in 2023
Born	Paul Colm Michael Mescal (1996-02-02) 2 February 1996 (age 29) Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland
Alma mater	Trinity College, Dublin (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2017–present
Relatives	Nell Mescal (sister)
Awards	Full list

Paul Colm Michael Mescal (born 2 February 1996) is a famous Irish actor. He was born in Maynooth, Ireland. Paul studied acting at The Lir Academy in Dublin.

He became well-known for his role in the TV series Normal People (2020). For this, he won a BAFTA TV Award. He also got a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. Later, Paul started acting in movies. He starred in films like Aftersun (2022) and All of Us Strangers (2023). These roles earned him nominations for BAFTA Film Awards. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Aftersun. Paul won a Laurence Olivier Award for his acting in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. He has also taken on big movie roles, like in the historical action film Gladiator II (2024).

Growing Up and School

Paul Mescal was born on 2 February 1996. His mother was a police officer. His father was a schoolteacher who also acted. Paul is the oldest of three children. He has a brother and a sister. He went to Maynooth Post Primary School.

Paul was a talented Gaelic football player. He played for Kildare and his local club, Maynooth GAA. People said he was a very strong defender. He stopped playing after he hurt his jaw.

Paul first acted on stage when he was 16. He played the main character in the musical The Phantom of the Opera. After this, he got into The Lir Academy at Trinity College Dublin. He finished his acting degree in 2017. He found agents for his acting career even before he graduated.

His Acting Journey

Early Roles in Theatre and TV (2017–2020)

After finishing college, Paul got roles in two plays. He chose to star as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby in Dublin. Critics praised his performance. He also played the Prince in The Red Shoes.

In 2018, Paul acted in the play Asking for It. He also performed in London in The Plough and the Stars. He was in A Midsummer Night's Dream and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. In 2020, he acted in The Lieutenant of Inishmore.

Paul's first TV role was in Normal People. This show was based on a book by Sally Rooney. He played Connell Waldron, a student. The role made him very famous. He won a BAFTA TV Award for his acting. Critics said his performance was amazing. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award.

Paul also appeared in a short film called Drifting. He played a firefighter in the TV series The Deceived. He was also in The Rolling Stones' music video for their song "Scarlet".

Becoming a Film Star (2021–Present)

Paul Mescal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Dakota Johnson promoting The Lost Daughter (2021)

Paul's first movie was The Lost Daughter in 2021. It was a psychological drama and got good reviews. He then starred in God's Creatures and Aftersun in 2022. Both films were well-received. Critics praised Paul's powerful acting in these movies. For Aftersun, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

In 2022, Paul also starred in Carmen. He played a US military veteran. In December 2022, Paul played Stanley Kowalski in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. The play was very popular. Paul won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for this role.

Paul Mescal at the 2022 Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, 2022

In 2023, Paul starred with Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers. He wanted to play a more lively character. He was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for this film. He also acted with Saoirse Ronan in Foe.

In 2024, Paul received the Vantage Award for new artists. He took on a big role in Gladiator II. This is a sequel to the famous 2000 film Gladiator. Paul trained for six months for this role. He practiced strength training, fight scenes, and sword fighting.

Paul will next appear in The History of Sound. He will also play William Shakespeare in the film Hamnet. He is also set to star in Merrily We Roll Along. This movie will be filmed over 20 years.

About His Life

Paul speaks both English and Irish. He moved to London from Ireland in 2020. He has bought a home in Ireland. He plans to spend time there when he is not working.

Paul appeared in a music video for singer Phoebe Bridgers called "Savior Complex". He also sang backing vocals for her song "So Much Wine". The money from this song went to a charity. Paul talks about seeing a therapist to help him stay healthy. He believes fans should respect his private life.

Paul plays the piano. He has performed songs with his sister, Nell Mescal, who is also a singer. In 2020, he performed with singer Dermot Kennedy at the Natural History Museum in London. He also took part in a special online play reading for charity.

Acting Credits

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Film Roles

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2021	The Lost Daughter	Will
2022	God's Creatures	Brian O'Hara
	Aftersun	Callum Patterson
	Carmen	Aidan
2023	All of Us Strangers	Harry
	Foe	Junior
2024	Gladiator II	Lucius Verus
TBA	The History of Sound	Lionel	Post-production; also executive producer
	Hamnet	William Shakespeare	Post-production
	Merrily We Roll Along	Franklin Shepard	Filming

Television Roles

Music Videos

Theatre Roles

Music He's Sung

Soundtrack

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Paul Mescal para niños