Normal People star and national heartthrob Paul Mescal has opened up about the success of the series, opening up about what he feels is the secret behind its magic.
Chatting with Marty Morrissey who is filling in on the RTÉ radio show The Ryan Tubridy Show this week, the Kildare native said that while the show’s colossal success is a shock to him, he believes that the story was always destined to triumph.
“I’ve been thinking about this (the show’s success) quite a bit,” Paul told Marty.
“And I think it’s because it’s totally about Connell and Marianne, and it’s a very simple story on paper, but it also trusts and challenges an audience to really observe a sexual relationship, and one of those main relationships in anybody’s life.”
Continuing on he added:
“It’s an incredibly formative thing and I think people have access to that very quickly, and I think that’s what they latch on to. They see themselves in that relationship, potentially.”
Going on to speak about the public’s response to an unusual aspect of the show, Connell’s chain, Marty questions Paul on its popularity, and Paul tells that people’s interest in the chain has lead to €53,000 being raised for Pieta House.
“It definitely wasn’t on the list of things I thought people would notice,” he admits. “It’s kind of grown arms and legs. It kind of became its own entity, and I’m raffling off one of my own chains for Pieta House.
“I couldn’t have imagined that response.
“It shows the popularity of the chain and the show itself. Obviously I’m over the moon, and eternally grateful to everybody who’s donated.”
The final installment of Normal People airs on RTÉ One at 10.15 pm.
