Portrait · Raph_PH / CC BY 4.0

Paul Mescal

Actor and executive producer

Born 1996

Paul Mescal is an Irish actor whose career combines intimate screen dramas, major studio films and theatre. Born in Dublin and raised in Maynooth, he attended Irish-language schools and initially hoped to pursue Gaelic football. Playing the Phantom in a school musical drew him toward acting. After graduating from The Lir Academy in 2017, he immediately played Jay Gatsby at Dublin's Gate Theatre and built a stage career in Dublin and London. His television breakthrough as Connell in Normal People led to a BAFTA; Aftersun brought an Academy Award nomination, and his Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire won an Olivier. Screen work includes The Lost Daughter, God's Creatures, Carmen, All of Us Strangers, Foe and Gladiator II. In 2025 he starred in and executive-produced The History of Sound, and played William Shakespeare in Hamnet. His announced work includes Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes' Beatles films, Linklater's continuing Merrily We Roll Along and a 2027 repertory stage season in Death of a Salesman and A Whistle in the Dark.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

Keep exploring

Connected people

ConnectionDaisy Edgar-JonesNormal People co-star; the television breakthrough shared by both actors.

ConnectionFrankie CorioPlays Sophie opposite Mescal's Calum in Aftersun; both discussed their preparation with BFI.

ConnectionAndrew ScottPlays Adam opposite Mescal's Harry in All of Us Strangers.

Provenance before publication

Attribution.

Date not supplied OfficialOriginal

Image rights ledger

Paul Mescal at the Hamnet gala premiere during the BFI London Film Festival, October 11, 2025.

Media: Raph_PH

Commons records Raph_PH's Flickr original and a successful CC BY 4.0 review. This hosted Commons version is an existing portrait crop; display may crop further. Attribution retained; no endorsement implied.

Source file CC BY 4.0

Paul Mescal at the Toronto International Film Festival, September 7, 2025.

Media: Jay Dixit / WikiPortraits

Original own-work Commons upload by Jay Dixit explicitly licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; matching licensed portrait extraction checked separately. Required Jay Dixit / WikiPortraits attribution retained; existing extraction and display cropping disclosed with share-alike terms. Personally inspected the fully loaded hosted image in Chrome: complete face, hair, shoulders and upper torso, 1135 by 1532 portrait framing.

Source file CC BY-SA 4.0