The breakout star of Hulu's limited series is a first-time Emmy nominee.
Paul Mescal, one of the breakout stars from Hulu's Normal People, is a newly minted first-time Emmy nominee.
The actor earned his first career Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Movie on Tuesday morning, capping off a whirlwind three months that saw his star rise from relative anonymity to glossy magazine covers.
Mescal's co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones and the series failed to land Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series, but Normal People snagged three additional noms (writing, directing and casting). Its total Emmy nomination count is four.
After Mescal's nomination was revealed Tuesday, he issued a statement reacting to his major milestone moment.
"I am so utterly honored to have been included in the nominations list today alongside such immense actors I have admired from afar. Normal People was created by a huge cast and crew who deserve so much recognition for their incredible work," he said, before praising his frequent scene partner Edgar-Jones. "Most importantly I want to thank my amazing friend and brilliant co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones as the show would not have got the extraordinary response without her electric performance."
Later in the day, the Irish actor took to social media to celebrate his milestone achievement, again crediting Edgar-Jones for being a major reason for the Emmy nomination the first place.
"My actual face right now! Thank you to absolutely everyone at @Element_Pictures, @hulu and @bbcthree! Lenny I will will forever [be] indebted to you," he adorably wrote on Instagram, alongside a screenshot of his character, Connell, sobbing. "@DaisyEdgarJones this only exists because of you and extraordinary talent end of! Thank you for all your beautiful messages I’m gonna go away and cry now x."
Edgar-Jones returned the favor, congratulating Mescal and the Normal People team on four Emmy nominations with an on-set photo of Abrahamson and Mescal.
"I could not be more proud of these two utterly incredible people, working with you both has been one of the greatest joys of my life," she wrote on Instagram, adding, "We smashed it!"
Since Normal People's April drop, Edgar-Jones, 22, and Mescal, 24, has captured the world's attention with their stunningly raw and simplistic performances as Marianne and Connell in the 12-part limited series, breathing new life into author Sally Rooney's cherished literary characters.
The series depicts Marianne and Connell's star-crossed romance, which spans several years -- from their days in high school to university. As the tale progresses, the couple goes through incredible highs and the lowest of lows in their all-consuming love story.
Normal People marks Mescal's screen debut.
Named two of ET's Standout Performances of the year, the pair reflected on their connection during filming and the overwhelmingly positive response to the series across the world.
"It's so weird because I can't dissociate my work from Daisy's, in a weird way, and I don't think that's normal because I think that's what extraordinarily good shows [do]," Mescal told ET in June. "I think there were, like, two or three days in the entire shoot that we weren't at least doing some form of work together. And it was so weird at the end of the shoot, it was this nonverbal understanding. Before we even talked about the scenes, we knew how they were. I knew Daisy's version of Marianne and she knew the version of my Connell and how we would play these things."
"That's something that I look back now and think, 'That was totally extraordinary,'" he added. "I would be so lucky to experience something like that again in my career."
"I think that it would've resonated with people anyway, but the fact that we're in lockdown and there's a lack of human connection that we don't realize we have every day and suddenly that's removed," Edgar-Jones intimated to ET. "Maybe that's why when you watch the show, you're so suddenly hyper aware of, oh my gosh, your friendships and connections. That it's maybe more potent to feel at the minute when that's something lacking in your life."
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place Sunday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ABC. Check out ET Live and ETonline for ongoing coverage of the awards.
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