Paul Mescal is now a household name, with breakout performances in blockbuster movies and an Academy Award nomination under his belt. However, one of his earliest roles remains his best, as the subtle and vulnerable Connell Waldron in Hulu’s Normal People. Although his undeniable chemistry with co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones is a huge reason for the limited series’ success, Mescal’s performance in isolation is a hugely impactful portrayal of mental health.

The series uses a fast-paced timeline, jumping to points where Marianne and Connell’s young adulthood intersect. Starting at school, where they are first drawn together, the series follows them through university and demonstrates how complicated modern love is as their relationship is plagued by miscommunication. Mescal indicates how Connell changes in these environments, constantly revealing a sense of anxiety and loneliness that manifests in different ways. Every emotional beat felt by Connell is transferred to the audience, and Mescal’s Normal People performance is the actor at his very best.

Paul Mescal Breaks Stereotypes in ‘Normal People’

The initial episodes of Normal People offer a performative view of Connell, showing early signs of his discomfort. He evidently enjoys spending time with his friends, but Mescal’s shifts of awkwardness show that Connell’s true feelings and morals are being restrained. There is a clear distinction between his measured silence around his friends, only speaking when necessary, and the way he opens up when he starts spending time with Marianne. He is never spiteful towards Marianne, even when his friends belittle her demeanor and appearance, but there is certainly a distant curiosity between them.

Mescal plays a young Connell with trepidation, which contrasts Edgar-Jones’ more infallible delivery. He creates an unexpectedly tender character who is stuck between his feelings and others’ perceptions of him. There is a sweet naivety to their relationship, and Connell is protective and supportive towards Marianne, especially in intimacy. However, it is Mescal’s delivery of Connell’s stream of consciousness that is truly outstanding. Normal People spends time in the aftermath of its moments, allowing both its leads to show their genuine love for each other. In Connell, this manifests as him being able to tell Marianne his true feelings, as he doesn’t feel any judgment from her, revealing his worries around university and uncertainty about his future.

Mescal trips over his monologues so they don’t feel rehearsed; instead, he gives the audience insight into Connell’s mind in real time, almost as if we are uncovering the real him at the same time as Marianne. He doesn’t strip Connell’s emotions but rather shows a window into his insecurity and vulnerability. There is a nuance to these musings that indicates Connell’s later struggles with his mental health without making him a caricature of male insecurity.

‘Normal People’ Tackles Male Loneliness

There is a shift in Mescal’s performance as Connell leaves school and struggles in his new environment. Suddenly, the charming, popular boy from Sligo is a distant memory, and Connell becomes a lost soul in the big city. There are striking parallels between the way Marianne was always alone at school and the way Connell wanders around Trinity in solitude. Yet, the script ensures Connell isn’t one-dimensional, and Mescal elevates that humanity when he has scene partners.

There is a clear distinction between Connell’s demeanor alone or his lack of self-confidence when talking to his mom about his studies and the way he speaks when he isn’t inside his own head. There is also measured confidence in his view on the world and how he articulates his opinions — for example, when he first interacts with Gareth and questions the true nature of free speech. It means that Mescal’s performance never belittles Connell and shows why he felt so connected to Marianne, as their understanding of the world aligns, which in turn blends their understanding of each other. This is mirrored in how comfortable the pair are together when they reunite at Trinity.

‘Normal People’ Features Paul Mescal’s Best Scene

Mescal’s performance is elevated beyond expectation in the latter half of Normal People, when Connell struggles with grief and loss. Despite always having a soft exterior, Connell unravels in a totally new way, starting to shut down after his school friend Rob dies by suicide. While there has always been a hint of melancholy in the way Mescal shows Connell’s struggles with loneliness, this transition into deep personal grief is heavy and given clear distinction. His performance becomes much more physical as Connell struggles to keep his walls up, and we see him viscerally react to how his grief affects himself and others.

This culminates in a breakdown while talking to his counselor, which is easily Mescal’s most evocative and powerful moment within the series. Connell’s willingness to finally open up emotionally is a stirring portrayal of the weight of grief and is so effective because of how Mescal has built up Connell’s state of mind throughout the story.

Throughout Normal People, Mescal’s performance is never exaggerated, but there is so much hurt behind his calm portrayal that evidences how much Connell battles his demons alone. The seeds of this are sown right from the outset as Connell struggles to fit in at school, and Mescal shows a clear distinction between the version of Connell that he lets most people see and his real self that he gives to Marianne. He balances those feelings of anxiety with Connell’s intelligence to never allow him to become a side character in Marianne’s story while leading the narrative. It is a performance that sheds light on men’s mental health poignantly, showing the power of vulnerability through Mescal’s most raw and unfiltered role.