Paul Mescal has admitted he’s “baffled” by his newfound fame.
The 24-year-old shot to fame earlier this month, when he made his TV debut as Connell in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People.
Speaking to the UK Mirror, the Maynooth native said:Â “It’s very strange to hear all of these things, very strange but extremely humbling and I couldn’t be any more grateful.”
The actor’s new popularity has even accumulated buzz about him possibly being the next James Bond.
“I’ve heard the James Bond predictions and all I can say is that would be a dream come true. If I was James Bond – well, I’d be rich,” he admitted.
“It’s hard to get my head around the fact that these huge celebrities; the people I have looked up to for years are tweeting about me. It’s really baffling.”
The 12-part series has received rave reviews worldwide since it debuted earlier this month.
The series stars Paul in his first television role as Connell, and British actress Daisy Edgar Jones as Marianne.
It follows two young people navigating adulthood in contemporary Ireland, and their complicated relationship from the end of their school days in Sligo – to their undergraduate years at Trinity College.
Normal People was directed by the Oscar-nominated film-maker Lenny Abrahamson and English director Hettie Macdonald, and was filmed in Dublin, Sligo, Sweden and Italy.
The next two episodes of Normal People will air on RTÉ One next Tuesday at 10.15pm.
The entire series is also available to stream on Hulu, and the BBC iPlayer.
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