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Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones played drinking game during Normal People binge session

<p>Dylan Jones, Editor of GQ, today announced that Paul Mescal will be honoured with the Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Of The Year award at this year’s virtual GQ Men Of The Year Awards.</p> (Mariano Vivanco)

Dylan Jones, Editor of GQ, today announced that Paul Mescal will be honoured with the Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Of The Year award at this year’s virtual GQ Men Of The Year Awards.

(Mariano Vivanco)

Normal People star Paul Mescal has revealed he and co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones played a drinking game while watching the show together.

The star, who will be named the Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Of The Year at this year’s virtual GQ Men Of The Year Awards, caused a sensation with his performance in the drama based on Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel.

He said: “We hadn’t actually watched it together, Daisy and I. Because of lockdown, we hadn’t done that, so last week we got together and watched the whole thing through.

“We actually ended up playing a little drinking game: every time Connell wouldn’t complete a sentence or any time Marianne would make an emphatic statement that made Connell uncomfortable we did a shot.

“We ended up talking over most of it, just reflecting on particular days, costume changes, memories. It was very special to get to do that with her. The thing we shared – will always share – is so unique.”

The Irish star, who was an acclaimed Gaelic football player in his youth, admitted he had to think seriously about if he really wanted to become an actor.

He told GQ Magazine: “I really struggled with that decision: choosing one thing to focus on that I wouldn’t get utterly bored with.

<p>The star will be named the Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Of The Year</p>Mariano Vivanco**

The star will be named the Hugo Boss Breakthrough Actor Of The Year

Mariano Vivanco**

"Acting was something that I didn’t really know how to do but I could see how it would take a great deal of dedication. It was a team environment, but one with an almost hermitic lifestyle for the individual players – just going in and being totally absorbed by it. That really appealed.”

He said he had continued playing the sport “on the sly” for two years before deciding to concentrate on acting, saying: “I had already decided to give it up in my final year but then I got slapped pretty hard across the face and my jaw snapped.

“If sport was my thing on the side, I had to drop my thing on the side. No distractions.”

GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2020 in association with Hugo Boss is available to view on British GQ’s YouTube channel on Thursday 26 November 2020 at 8pm https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/paul-mescal-normal-people