Paul Colm Michael Mescal (/ˈmɛskəl/ MESS-kəl; born 2 February 1996) is an Irish actor. His accolades include two BAFTA Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
Born in Dublin and raised in Maynooth, he studied acting at The Lir Academy and then performed in plays in Dublin theatres. Mescal's breakthrough came with a leading role in the BBC / Hulu romantic drama miniseries Normal People (2020), earning him the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor and a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Mescal transitioned to film acting with his debut in the psychological drama The Lost Daughter (2021). For his performance as a troubled father in the coming-of-age drama Aftersun (2022), he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He gained further recognition for his performances in the psychological drama All of Us Strangers (2023), the historical action film Gladiator II (2024), and for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet (2025).
On stage, he portrayed Stanley Kowalski in a West End revival of the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire (2022), which won him the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.
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