“I might be finished,” Paul Mescal says, hinting at the end of his reign as cinema’s go-to sad gay. But is he really done? As much as we’d love to think so, we’re not so sure—and honestly, neither is he.
The 29-year-old Irish actor, who’s made a career out of playing emotionally complex men—mostly ones with an undercurrent of queerness and sadness—recently graced Vanity Fair’s “Hollywood Issue.” This year’s cover story wasn’t about the typical leading man—no hulking action heroes or sleek heartthrobs in sight. Instead, we got a look at a new generation of leading men, the ones the internet adores: smart, sensitive, and most importantly, comfortable enough with their masculinity to flirt with queerness on-screen. You know, the type who are as adored by the girls as they are by the gays.
And chief among them? Paul Mescal, a.k.a. the modern sadboi icon who’s been stirring hearts (and our queer imaginations) with his portrayals of lovesick, tortured souls.
Paul Mescal’s Career: A Series of Heartbreaking Queer Roles
If you’ve been following his career—hell, if you’ve watched Normal People—you know what we mean. He broke out with the role of Connell in Hulu’s adaptation of the beloved novel, playing a brooding, tender heartthrob who had as many questions about his feelings as he did for his emotionally distant lover. But this wasn’t a one-off for Mescal. In Aftersun, his first major film, he played a father dealing with his sexuality, while also navigating a rocky relationship with his daughter. The film won him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but the real standout was Mescal’s ability to hold space for the quietest moments—the ones where you don’t need a loud declaration of feelings, just raw, human vulnerability.
Then, in All of Us Strangers, he got gay-for-pay once again. In Andrew Haigh’s haunting ghost story, Mescal’s character strikes up a complicated romance with Andrew Scott’s lonely screenwriter—two sad gays finding solace in each other’s sorrow. And, most recently, in The History of Sound, Mescal teams up with Josh O’Connor for a tale of forbidden love during WWI. So yes, you guessed it—sad, gay, and oh-so-painfully beautiful.
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Is Paul Mescal Gay? Let’s Clarify: He’s Not, But…
Is Paul Mescal gay? No, he’s not. He’s straight. However, in a new interview with The Sunday Times, Mescal opened up about the complexities of playing queer characters as a straight man. While some might see this as a controversy, Mescal argues that straight actors should be allowed to take on queer roles, with one important caveat: “It depends who’s in charge of telling the story,” he explained. “The issue is that there have been so many queer performances in cinema that have been offensive, but that’s because the filmmakers and the actors have been careless.”
Mescal’s nuanced approach to playing queer characters—and his understanding of the responsibility that comes with it—adds another layer to his already deeply affecting performances. It’s clear that, for him, it’s not just about the role, but about how authentically that role is told.
Moving Forward: A Break from the Sad Gay Roles?
In his Vanity Fair interview, the actor mused that he might be stepping away from these sad gay roles. He admitted that his past performances as queer characters like Will in Hamnet, Lionel in The History of Sound, Connell in Normal People, and Harry in All of Us Strangers have created a certain “artistic compulsion” for him. “I don’t know if I’ll have more to say with roles like Will or Lionel or Connell or Harry,” he said, giving a thoughtful nod to his past work. “I recognize that they are in conversation with each other… and I don’t know if I’m finished with that yet, but I might be finished with that?”
And yet—he says this while about to film one of the most anticipated projects of 2028: a four-film Beatles biopic, where Mescal plays none other than Paul McCartney. No, it’s not a gay role (or is it?), but it does sound like Mescal is really about to switch gears.
Is Shakespeare Gay? Paul Mescal Plays the Bard
The Hamnet film, which is already generating Oscar buzz, sees him playing a heartbroken William Shakespeare. While the movie itself doesn’t delve into Shakespeare’s sexuality, there’s a longstanding theory that the legendary writer may have been bi. And guess who’s playing him? That’s right—Paul Mescal. So, is it possible that even in roles where he’s not explicitly playing a queer character, Mescal’s tragic, tender energy still somehow lands in that camp? We think so.
Conclusion: The Future of Paul Mescal’s Roles
Let’s face it, though—this isn’t the last we’ll see of Paul Mescal and his broken, tender gay roles. Even if he’s planning a break from them, we know the audience (us included) isn’t about to stop begging for more. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to blend the melancholy and the queer into even more complex roles as he moves forward in his career. Because if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that no one does sad gays quite like Paul Mescal.
But for now, we’ll just have to hold our breath and pray that the next time he plays a sad, gay character, it won’t be his last.
He has a rare quality of staying masculine yet exposing a tender side of himself. I enjoy his acting immensely. Loved Normal People along with the phenomenal Daisy. Keep picking those artsy sensitive roles. Only a handful of actors can pull them off.