‘That character has a lot of life left to live’: Normal People star Paul Mescal pays tribute to Connell’s chain in jaw-dropping photoshoot as he teases a possible sequel to hit drama
- SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details of Normal People’s final episode
He’s had a lockdown like no other, shooting to fame after millions of viewers around the world devoured the smash hit book-to- screen drama Normal People.
And Paul Mescal has admitted in a new interview that he would relish the opportunity to return to the character of Connell Waldron – the male lead in Sally Rooney’s novel of young love, and the subsequent 12 part TV adaptation.
Paul, 24, is the cover star for the Summer 2020 issue of Wonderland magazine, teasing his fans by paying tribute to Connell’s chain in a series of smouldering shots, while opening up on his new-found fame in a candid interview.
Iconic: Paul Mescal has admitted in a new interview that he would relish the opportunity to return to the character of Connell Waldron from his smash hit BBC drama Normal People
The edgy shoot sees the County Kildare native pull off his best cover star poses, while showing off his muscles in sweater vests and tight t-shirts, accessorised with a new spin on the famous chain which Connell wears throughout Normal People and which has developed its own 140k strong Instagram following.
Paul admits in the accompanying interview that he is bemused by the sheer level of fame he has rapidly gained over the past two months, not least because his stardom has come while he self isolates alone in London.
‘I feel the success of the show when I pick my phone up, but when I put my phone down, nothing has changed from before or after the release,’ he says during the Zoom interview.
Pin-up: Paul, 24, is the cover star for the Summer 2020 issue of Wonderland magazine, teasing his fans by paying tribute to Connell’s chain in a series of smouldering shots
He adds that he has only experienced a brief moment of real life interaction with his fans during his weekly shops, saying of the first time a fan approached him: ‘I went bright red and panicked a little>’
Paul says he’s proud of the work he and his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones have put on screen, especially Connell and Marianne’s messy love story, and their realistic sex scenes, which have resonated with so many people.
Following the turbulent relationship between working-class Connell [Mescal] and well-heeled Marianne [Edgar-Jones], Normal People has been praised for its unflinching take on sexuality.
Smash hit: Following the turbulent relationship between working-class Connell [Mescal] and well-heeled Marianne [Daisy Edgar-Jones], the book-to-screen adaptation of Normal People has been praised for its unflinching take on sexuality
Cover star: The edgy shoot sees the County Kildare native pull off his best cover star poses, while showing off his muscles in a sweater vests
A new chain! Paul accessorises with a new spin on the famous chain which Connell wears throughout Normal People (right)
‘Sex. Mental health. Young people today,’ the actor says. ‘It was the opportunity to present something that you feel is documented in a way that feels realistic to you as a young person… And I wanted to do due justice, with the way [Marianne and Connell] were written we had a massive opportunity to put certain things right with how sex is portrayed on screen.’
With a total of 41 minutes of sex shown across the 12 episodes, Paul reveals he and Daisy had to laugh to get through the hours of footage they shot ‘to break the tension’.
Alongside the headline-grabbing sex scenes and the universally relatable depiction of mental health among young people, there is another major talking point to come out of the series – the ending.
Fanbase: Paul admits in the accompanying interview that he is bemused by the sheer level of fame he has rapidly gained over the past two months
Lockdown: The actor admits it’s been bizarre self isolating alone just as his stardom has rocketed
Down to earth: ‘I feel the success of the show when I pick my phone up, but when I put my phone down, nothing has changed from before or after the release,’ he says
Fans around the world: The Irish actor has amassed a huge fanbase around the world with celebs like Katy Perry tuning into the show
The conclusion of both Rooney’s book and the TV adaptation sees Connell making plans to study in New York and Marianne telling him she will not follow him.
‘I thought it was just the most beautifully sad ending to a story,’ Paul insists, responding to some fans’ outrage at the lack of romantic resolution.
‘Totally, the romantic in me is like why doesn’t she just tell him to stay? Or why doesn’t she come over to New York? But it doesn’t make sense in the reality of those two character’s lives. I think ultimately if they did decide to stay together at that moment, it would be way more disappointing than the reality of the ending.’
Critically acclaimed: Paul says he’s proud of the work he and his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones have put on screen, especially Connell and Marianne’s messy love story
Important message: ‘Sex. Mental health. Young people today,’ the actor says. ‘It was the opportunity to present something that you feel is documented in a way that feels realistic’
There it is! The actor is seen showing off his new chain in the smouldering shots for Wonderland
This is the life: The photos were shot by Bartek Szmigulski before lockdown
The end? Paul admits in the interview that he would love the chance to return to the character of Connell one day
Pre-order now at wonderlandmagazine.com
Thanks to the huge success of the show, and the less than satisfactory ending for some, there has been pleas for Paul and Daisy to return to the characters.
‘Oh, there’s no question that character to me is still alive and breathing and very much has a lot of life left to live, and has a relationship with Marianne that is maybe unfinished,’ Paul explains, but cautions:
‘I I do feel like the series that has finished is its own thing, and I’m totally comfortable with that. It’s not on the cards at the moment, but if I got the opportunity to play him again, amazing.’
Pre-order now at wonderlandmagazine.com
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