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Normal People star Paul Mescal opens up about his instant chemistry with Daisy Edgar-Jones

The pair spent two weeks getting to know each other before filming started

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones

Normal People star Paul Mescal has revealed that he had instant chemistry with his co-star Daisy-Edgar Jones.

The pair, who play Connell and Marianne in the popular Irish drama, were praised for their on-screen performances – and it appears the actors are close off-screen as well.

The Maynooth native opened up about how he spent two weeks getting to know Daisy before filming began, and that the crew didn’t try to “force chemistry” between them.

“There was an understanding that me and Daisy would fundamentally get on,” he said on an Instagram Live with Backstage.

“It can be detrimental to force chemistry onto people,” he continued.

“We didn’t spend a huge amount of time together. We spent the guts of two weeks. The production weren’t like, you go off and get to know each other.”

“If you let things sit and trust these people understand the characters… and ultimately trusting that we are people who respect each other and over time we’ll be friends.”

The 24-year-old explained that the pair spent a lot of time with director Lenny Abrahamson as they explored their characters.

Normal People | Enda Bowe/Hulu

“We spent time with Lenny rehearsing the scenes,” he said.

“It was a nice gentle time of talking and creating a playlist for the characters.”

Paul also opened up about his sudden rise to fame, and how he is still getting used to his newfound popularity.

“That takes adapting to,” he confessed.

“It’s not something you learn in drama school. I have amazing friends in the acting community and outside of it and a family that keeps me grounded.”

Paul and Daisy will reprise their roles as Connell and Marianne for RTÉ Does Comic Relief, which will air on RTÉ One at 8pm on Friday evening.

According to Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis, the special will imagine the lead characters’ lives forty years into the future.

On this week’s episode of #GossChats – Ali Ryan chats to Aoife Walsh.

The former Miss Ireland opens up about postponing her wedding, being apart from her fiancé, and the lessons she has learned during lockdown.

#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.

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