The actors posted a selfie together on St. Patrick's Day.
A photo of Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri is causing quite a stir.
A selfie of the star of The Bear and Normal People actor sent the rumor mill into overdrive after a cozy snapshot surfaced on Instagram, capturing them in a candid moment together on St. Patrick's Day.
The adorable photo, shared by Edebiri on her Instagram Story, features the two actors, both 28, sharing a laugh while seated side by side on a stairwell. Edebiri is wrapping her arms around Mescal's shoulder as he snaps the picture.
"Happy St Paddy’s 🍀," Edebiri wrote in the caption.
Adding fuel to the fire, additional snaps taken on the same stairwell include director Oliver Hermanus and playwright Jeremy O. Harris alongside Mescal and Edebiri. In directing Mescal in the upcoming film The History of Sound, Hermanus provided the perfect backdrop for the playful exchange. Edebiri's humorous nod to her supposed Irish heritage -- which she joked to ET about at the Golden Globes -- added intrigue to the photo.
While some fans quickly speculate about a budding romance between the two actors, citing their close rapport in the snapshot, sources close to the pair have refuted the claims, insisting they are "just friends," according to TMZ.
However, the possibility of a professional collaboration is not entirely ruled out. The All of Us Strangers star had previously expressed interest in working with Edebiri on a romantic comedy, igniting further speculation about a potential project between the two.
"That’s one of those I leave the cinema and I’m incredibly jealous and brightened by everybody’s talents involved with that film," Mescal mentioned in an interview to Awards Watch last November. "But I think in the next five years I’m going to set myself a challenge to do maybe a rom-com with Ayo, or something like that would be cool."
The idea of the duo starring in a romantic comedy gained traction when romance novelist Emily Henry reposted the St. Patrick’s Day photo on her Instagram Story, hinting at the possibility of a collaboration.
Fans, ever enthusiastic, took to social media to share their excitement over the potential pairing. Speculations about an Edebiri-Mescal rom-com sparked a frenzy of anticipation among their followers, with many expressing their eagerness for such a project to come to fruition.
The recent photo is not the first time Mescal and Edebiri have been spotted together. Their previous encounters at events like the BAFTA Awards in London and the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards in California have only fueled the speculation surrounding their relationship, be it personal or professional.
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