Paul Mescal, born Feb. 2, 1996, is an Irish actor known for his performances in “Normal People,” "Aftersun" and “All of Us Strangers.” Born in Maynooth, he started out performing in theater roles in Dublin, starring as Jay Gatsby in “The Great Gatsby.” He went on to perform in plays including “The Plough and the Stars,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,” “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” for which he won an Olivier Award. Mescal’s first television role came in the miniseries “Normal People,” adapted from the Sally Rooney novel. He earned an Emmy nomination and a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor for his performance as football-playing student Connell Waldron. His first film role was in “The Lost Daughter” in 2021, and the next year he appeared in “God’s Creatures” and “Aftersun,” which brought him an Oscar nomination for best actor. Among his other film roles are “Carmen” and “Foe.” He’s starring in “Gladiator 2” in 2024 and will appear in Richard Linklater’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” which is being filmed over 20 years.