There’s no doubt that the success of the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People back in 2020 catapulted Paul Mescal into the small screen hall of fame. His Bafta-award-winning portrayal of tortured teen Connell Waldron was swiftly followed by further acclaim and award-nominated roles, as well as a leap to the silver screen in films such as All Of Us Strangers and The Lost Daughter – not to mention treading the boards as Stanley Kowalski in the West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire. 

The actor – who caught the Academy’s attention with his performance in Aftersun – was even nominated for an Oscar back in 2022, much to the delight of his family.

Love. That. Energy.

Mescal is currently starring in what might be his biggest film role yet, in the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 classic Gladiator. 

To celebrate its release, it’s time to take a look at Mescal’s best performances to date (all of which, handily, are available to watch either on the big screen or via a streaming service near you).

Gladiator II

The long-awaited sequel to one of 2000’s biggest blockbusters stars Mescal as Lucius, a fierce warrior, alongside Pedro Pascal’s Roman general, and it’s safe to say that there will be duels. Hotly anticipated after a quarter of a century, the epic promises to be just as exciting as the original. 

Gladiator II is released in cinemas on November 22nd. 

All Of Us Strangers

Much to the delight of viewers, the screen adaptation of Japanese author Taichi Yamada’s novel Strangers stars Mescal alongside Fleabag’s ‘hot priest’, Andrew Scott. A chilling tale of family, loss, grief and memory, the star-studded cast also features The Crown’s Claire Foy and Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell. 

All Of Us Strangers is streaming on Disney + now.

Aftersun

Aftersun stars Mescal as Calum, a loving and idealistic father to 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio), and follows the relationship between the two of them, which is retrospectively explored by Sophie’s adult self (Celia Rowlson-Hall) through real and imagined memories.

A beautifully understated tale of love and loss, this is the performance that earned Mescal his best actor Oscar nod, so it’s certainly worth a watch.

Aftersun is streaming on Mubi now.

The Lost Daughter

A truly wrenching film about the joys and challenges of motherhood, The Lost Daughter sees one woman’s quiet seaside vacation take an unsettling turn when her fixation on a young mother staying at a nearby villa awakens memories from her past.

Olivia Colman is obviously brilliant as Leda, but there’s no denying that Mescal shines opposite her as student-turned-pool-boy Will, and we especially love watching that scene of them together. You know, the one with the wine, the flirty comments about age and beauty and all of that palpable sexual tension? Yeah, that one.

The Lost Daughter is streaming on Netflix now.

The Deceived

The Deceived tells the story of a young Cambridge student, Ophelia, who falls in love with her professor, Dr Michael Callaghan. So much so that she follows him to Donegal, where Callaghan’s wife, Roisin, dies in tragic – and deeply suspicious – circumstances.

Aided by volunteer fireman McKeough (Mescal), a possibly pregnant Ophelia does her best to unravel the mystery laid out before her. But, as events begin to spiral out of control, it’s not long before she begins to doubt everything she knows about Callaghan, and her own sanity, too. So expect plenty of twists and turns before you get to the end of this psychological thriller.

The Deceived is streaming on My5 now.

God’s Creatures

Directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer, this unnerving psychological drama takes place in a small Irish fishing village, where Aileen O’Hara (Emily Watson) is forced to tell a lie to protect her beloved son, Brian (Mescal), from a life-ruining allegation. As rumours spread, fractures begin to form in this tight-knit, insular community – and Aileen is forced to ask herself some very uncomfortable questions.

It’s a very different role for Mescal, who gives a quiet and restrained performance as the golden boy at the centre of this ‘boys will be boys’ story, but God’s Creatures has achieved a 92% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason.

God’s Creatures is available to rent on Apple TV+ and iTunes.

Normal People

A tale of two Irish teenagers who meet and fall in love at school and later go to university in Dublin; some might assume that Normal People is fluffy romcom fare, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, BBC Three’s critically acclaimed TV series dealt with a number of important themes, including loss, loneliness and consent, and Connell’s struggle with depression – particularly Mescal’s emotionally charged monologue in the show’s penultimate episode – has been held up as one of the most groundbreaking portrayals of men’s mental health ever since.

This 2020 series was Mescal’s breakout role, and four years on, it’s just as popular: watch for the realistic romance, stay for the outrageously good acting, and go away remembering the lesson that his character imparts at the end of it all: that it’s always, always, always OK to accept help, no matter who you are.

Normal People is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

Images: Getty; BBC; Netflix