Paul Mescal is in shock after receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
On Tuesday (23 January), the latest round of Academy Award nominations were announced in Hollywood.
While expectations for Mescal’s Aftersun nomination had gained traction in recent weeks, it was still uncertain whether he would be named – however, the doubters were proved wrong.
Mescal was nominated alongside fellow first-time nominees Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Brendan Fraser (The Whale) and Bill Nighy (Living).
The actor’s nomination is especially impressive considering Aftersun was his first lead film role after his breakout appearance in the Sally Rooney adaptation Normal People, which was released in 2020.
Reacting to the news, Mescal said in a statement: “This is truly a special moment for everyone involved in Aftersun. To be recognised by the Academy is such an insane honour and I’m so utterly grateful. I want to dedicate this nomination to my two friends Charlotte [Wells, director] and Frankie [Corio, co-star] who I love dearly! This is bananas, thank you!”
The actor’s family were also left excited by the nomination, with the actor’s sister, the singer Nell Mascal, sharing their reaction on Instagram.
The screengrab of a video call showed Mescal’s family looking on in joy after learning of his nomination. Nell said she would not share the photo as the tears were “ugly”, adding: "I am so proud it is making me sick."
“How did this happen?” Nell captioned the screenshot, after which she shared a photo of a clearly stunned Mescal, alongside the word: “Yep.”
Mescal is currently starring in the West End productuon of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire at London’s Almeida Theatre.
Find the full list of Oscar 2023 nominations here – and find this year’s biggest snubs and surprises here.
