Over the last few years Paul Mescal has went from a relatively unknown theatre actor to the star of a major blockbuster film.
The Irish actor landed a number of theatre roles after graduating from university in 2017, however it was 2020 television series Normal People which catapulted him to fame. One of the biggest series of the year, Mescal’s performance as Connell saw him win the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor alongside being nominated for a number of other accolades.
In the years since, Mescal’s career has been on the rise with the actor even having been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards following his role in Scottish indie-film Aftersun.
He has become best known for his emotional performances, but Mescal has now taken on a new challenge - starring in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster Gladiator sequel.
With the release of Gladiator II, we’ve ranked Paul Mescal’s performances from best to worst (not that there’s a bad one there).
1. Aftersun
Paul Mescal’s performance in 2022 film Aftersun has been widely praised – and for good reason. It tells the story of Calum (Mescal), a young father who takes his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) on a package holiday in the late nineties, and then how she remembers that trip twenty years on. Mescal’s performance is delicate, with Calum’s internal chaos peeking through his external calm, but infused with tenderness as well as melancholy. It’s absolutely his best performance to date so far, even earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars. | Getty Images
2. Normal People
Paul Mescal’s first television role, Normal People was a sensation when it was released in 2020. Following the relationship between his character Connell and Marianne, played by Daisy Edgar Jones, the miniseries was beautifully acted and wreaked havoc on audiences’ emotions with Mescal’s nuanced take on Connell helping anchor those emotional beats. It remains one of his best performances to this day. | PA
3. All of Us Strangers
Released in 2023, All of Us Strangers is a haunting and emotionally devastating film about grief and love. Starring Andrew Scott as a lonely screenwriter in his 40s, part of the reason the queer drama works as well as it does is due to the central pairing between his character Adam and Mescal’s Harry, his younger neighbour. Mescal’s performance is riveting and even earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 2024 BAFTAs, but is it his best? It’s very, very close. | Searchlight Pictures
4. God's Creatures
Released after his Oscar nominated turn in Aftersun, God’s Creatures is an indie drama set in a coastal Irish village in the 90s. Starring Emily Watson as Aileen, the mother of Mescal’s Brian O’Hara, the film picks up with his return to the small fishing village he was raised in. As the plot unfolds Mescal’s cleverly crafted performance really shines, particularly opposite Watson. | A24