Normal People star Paul Mescal was ‘nervous’ portraying his character Connell’s depression in the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel.
The Irish actor, 24, has emotionally revealed that three people at his school killed themselves and his ‘innocence was ripped away very quickly’ aged 14.
In the drama series, Connell seeks help for depression after his childhood friend commits suicide.
Nervous: Normal People star Paul Mescal was ‘nervous’ portraying his character Connell’s depression in the adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel (pictured with co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones)
Talking to The Independent, Paul explained: ‘Three people killed themselves at my school. So it’s not fictional to me, it’s real, and I was really nervous portraying it.’
The actor revealed that his mother took him out of school for a week as he ‘wasn’t equipped to cope with that level of devastation’ following the first death.
Paul explained that his ‘innocence was ripped away very quickly’ and that ‘you’re still a child’ aged 14.
He continued: ‘I wasn’t particularly close to the person, but that kind of sadness permeates through an entire year group.
Heartbreaking: The Irish actor, 24, has emotionally revealed that three people at his school killed themselves and his ‘innocence was ripped away very quickly’ aged 14
‘The distinct feeling I remember having at the time is that I didn’t know how to perform sadness in the way I saw other people around me being sad. I was nervous people didn’t think I was sad enough.’
Paul added that he found the incident ‘confusing’ and ‘formative’.
The star also spoke about similarities between himself and his character Connell.
Paul played Gaelic football when he was younger and also had an ‘intense’ relationship in secondary school, where he worried about holding hands in the corridor.
The star even attended Trinity College Dublin like Connell, Paul read drama, and admitted he struggled with the competitiveness between students, claiming ‘everyone was trying to one-up each other’.
Hard-hitting drama: In the drama series, Connell seeks help for depression after his childhood friend commits suicide
Paul and his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones have captured the heart of viewers over the world for their breathtaking performances as the book’s leads – Connell and Marianne.
Fans have labelled the series ‘perfect’ and praised the show for ‘capturing the atmosphere of the book’, something which can often be missed in novel adapted scripts.
The drama sees Marianne as a hugely intelligent yet misunderstood social outcast, while Connell is the school football star and is widely popular among his peers.
Marianne and Connell’s link is due to the fact that his mother works as a cleaner at her family’s mansion, and a strange and indelible connection grows between them.
However Connell is desperate to keep their blossoming relationship under wraps due to Marianne’s lower social standing at school.
Speaking out: Talking to The Independent, Paul explained: ‘Three people killed themselves at my school. So it’s not fictional to me, it’s real, and I was really nervous portraying it.’
The tables soon turn however, when the duo both go on to attend Trinity College in Dublin and Marianne is well-liked for her quirky ways and thoughtful insights.
While Connell struggles to find a connection with anyone other than Marianne.
Their relationship is thwarted by tricky situations, other romances and their own personal demons.
The coming-of-age novel is set in mid-2000s Ireland and tells the tale of how they overcome it.
Similarities: The star also spoke about similarities between himself and his character Connell, he played Gaelic football, had an ‘intense’ relationship in secondary school and even went to Trinity College Dublin
The series was produced by Element Pictures for BBC Three in partnership with Hulu, adapted by Sally alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe.
Filming took place in Dublin, Sligo, Sweden and Italy with Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson (Room, The Little Stranger, Frank) and award-winning director Hettie McDonald (Howard’s End) sharing the directorial duties.
If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Normal People is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now, or on Stan in Australia.
Praise: Paul and his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones have captured the heart of viewers over the world for their breathtaking performances as the book’s leads – Connell and Marianne