Paul Mescal is still getting to grips with his newfound fame amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Irish heartthrob shot to stardom after starring as Connell in the hit BBC and Hulu drama Normal People earlier this year and, speaking to American GQ, he admits he feels "totally privileged" to have found success amid the global health crisis.
“To be thrust into the spotlight in a time when everyone's living in these really stressful environments of f**king Covid and trying to survive. It's just been the most adrenaline-fuelled, stressful, exciting time of my life," he confessed.
“The fandom on the show has been amazing, and seeing people have articulate discussions about character is so satisfying."
He adds that “99 per cent” of his interactions with fans have been positive.
“I think there would have been an appetite for the show, pandemic or no pandemic, but it has definitely brought an audience to it faster than it would in ordinary circumstances,” he considered.
However, there's one element of fame he's not too fond of; paparazzi, and he insists he finds "the whole thing a little bit toxic". Despite being an instant hit with fans for his handsome looks, Mescal says the attention does, in fact, bother him.
“It's not something that I try to lean into," he mused. "But I put it down to the audience's associations with Connell rather than with me.”
