Normal People actor Paul Mescal has revealed how he has received offers to return to Gaelic football since starring in the hit show.
The 24-year-old also revealed that he is isolating on his own in London since moving there from Dublin two days before Boris Johnson announced lockdown.
The Irish star, who once lined out as an inter-county footballer for Kildare, told BBC’s Nick Grimshaw show that he received a formal offer to play for one London club since appearing in the hit RTE show playing the game.
He said: “It’s so funny there is (sic) Gaelic Football Clubs in London and because I have been talking a little bit about Gaelic football there is a team in London called Thomas McCurtains who reached out to my agent as if it was a job.
“(They) were like ‘we were just wondering if Paul would ever consider coming back and playing Gaelic football’ like, a really formal email to my agent.”
He told the BBC radio show that he has been living on his own in his new apartment in Britain since moving there in March.
He said: ‘It’s a little bit nuts at the moment but I’m really enjoying it and it’s just been crazy trying to gauge the response that people seem to be having to the show. It’s really, really exciting. I’m isolating by myself so it’s weird.
“All the kind of positivity I’m getting is through my phone and through social media, but when I put it down nothing is really any different, I’m still staring at the same four walls. It’s just crazy.
“I’m on my Toblerone.
“It’s just crazy. You kind of dream of being involved in a show that has this kind of public response and then I never really anticipated being stuck in East London having just moved over here about two weeks before lockdown even started.
“The weeks are kind of blending in with each other but it was two days before Boris announced the lockdown I moved over. Amazing timing.”
He revealed he has started to be recognised walking down the street.
He joked: “There was a funny one yesterday. I was going into the Co-op and someone just screamed “Go on Sligo!” right in my face and I jumped a little bit and went bright red and went about buying my essentials.”
He said he watched the episodes during film but hasn’t gotten used to seeing the sex scenes in the RTE show.
“It wouldn’t be my cup of tea, let’s just say that.
“I think I’m good at disassociating myself from Connell and it does make watching it a little less painful. It’s funny, The nudity in the show has become normal to me.”
But he said it is different for his relatives.
“Like the episodes that went on BBC One last night…
“There was like a full on full frontal shot in that episode. But it’s a different thing for me than it is my family, than it is my friends, than it is to like ‘normal people’ excuse the pun watching the show.”
He was also amused to see someone had been replying to fans contacting his character Connell Waldron’s email account.
“There has been somebody responding from somewhere to email accounts, it wasn’t me.
“I’m not the kind of person who is going to immediately change my email account to Connell Waldron”, he said laughing.
