Age: 30
male
Paul Colm Michael Mescal (/ˈmɛskəl/ MESS-kəl; born 2 February 1996) is an Irish actor. Born in Maynooth, he studied acting at The Lir Academy and then performed in plays in Dublin theatres. He rose to fame with his role in the miniseries Normal People (2020), earning a BAFTA TV Award and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. Mescal progressed to film acting with roles in the psychological dramas The Lost Daughter (2021) and God's Creatures (2022). His starring roles as a troubled father in Aftersun (2022) and a mysterious neighbour in All of Us Strangers (2023) earned him nominations for BAFTA Film Awards in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award for the former. He received a Laurence Olivier Award for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in a 2022 revival of the play A Streetcar Named Desire. Mescal expanded to big-budget films with a leading role in the historical action film Gladiator II (2024).
In a quiet coastal Irish town, follows Declan Murray, a reserved and well-meaning nursing home assistant struggling to care for his sister Aoife, who has a debilitating illness. Declan's life is a monotonous loop of unspoken burdens: double shifts, mounting medical bills, and the growing realization that their family home—filled with memories of their late parents—will soon be repossessed. One day, Declan crosses paths with Orla, a spirited local journalist investigating corruption in the healthcare system. Her passion reignites a dormant hope in Declan, and the two form a tentative bond. Inspired by her determination, Declan takes a bold step: he devises a scheme to steal from the nursing home’s wealthy residents—just enough to pay off his sister’s bills and save their home. But his plan spins out of control when his childhood friend Cian, a charming but volatile petty criminal, gets involved. Cian pushes Declan into bolder, riskier thefts, leading them to a high-stakes heist at a private hospital where powerful officials keep their illicit dealings hidden. What begins as a desperate, quiet act of rebellion explodes into a chaotic crime that captures national attention.
