It's been four years since Normal People was let loose on the world, bringing with it a frenzy of salty tears and broken hearts like never before. The 2020 series was an instant hit, quickly becoming all of our biggest obsessions that got us through lockdown number one.
But if there's one thing greater to come from the Sally Rooney adaptation than Connell's chain and Marianne's outfits, it's the platonic relationship between actors Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
It may have been a while since Normal People landed on our screens, yet Paul and Daisy are still a firm fixture in each other's lives. Fans are used to seeing the duo hanging out together - most recently spotted at a Normal People charity event in June, as well as attending this year's Glastonbury Festival together.
And when asked during a recent Variety interview about her bond with heartthrob Paul, Daisy only had glowing reviews..
'Paul is one of my lifetime best friends,' she shared. 'He's an incredibly grounded person and I am too, I think, so it's nice to be able to have those touchstones and those people you can laugh about it with and be lighthearted about.'
'We met when I was 20 and Paul was 22. I'm so excited to see where we'll be at 32, 42, and what life will bring us,' she added,
The Where The Crawdads Sing star also shared the sweet impact the series had on her life, saying, 'At Glasto, the thing that I was recognised for the most is Normal People still.'
'The thing I love people saying the most is, "It made me contact my ex." Especially when much older people say, "I just wanted to reach out to the person I was with when I was 17 just to say you were a big part of my history, and thanks for being part of who I am, the tapestry of my life." And that I really love, because I'm a massive romantic.'
Our hearts can’t take it.
In honour of the best friendship to ever come from one heart-wrenchingly good series, here’s everything that Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones have said about their friendship.
On their friendship after the show
When asked back in 2020 whether their friendship has extended long beyond Marianne and Connell’s story, Daisy replied, ‘We chat a bit, don’t we, Paul?’
‘We went through the shooting project together and that was a life changer. This feels a bit like that, so it’s nice to have Paul to share it with.’
Daisy certainly wasn’t joking. In 2023, Paul featured in Daisy’s Instagram dump, with the pair dressing up as Fleabag and the hot priest for Halloween. Then, in November 2022, Daisy attended the premiere of Aftersun – the nostalgic film that earned Paul an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of single dad Calum.
On that Met Gala moment
What are friends for if not to blow up your ego?
Daisy and Paul sent the world wild in 2022, when they reunited at the Met Gala. In one viral moment, Paul was seen posing with his then-girlfriend Phoebe Bridgers, with his gaze seeming to lead to a certain Miss Edgar-Jones.
Later that year, Daisy gushed in an interview about Paul’s new mustached look – laughing, ‘Oh, I love it. Paul can pull off anything.’
We agree.
On their first ever meeting
Never one to turn down a chance to sing Daisy’s praises, Paul has previously opened up about the first time he met his leading lady.
‘I had done one day of chemistry tests and then Daisy came in, and she absolutely smashed it,’ he said. ‘She was just absolutely brilliant.’
Paul was already cast for the role of Connell by the time Daisy was brought in – with just 5 people down for the role of Marianne. ‘In my head I was like, Daisy is going to get [the role],’ Paul added.
Earlier this year, Daisy took their friendship a step further after confessing her ‘love’ for Paul onstage. Pass the tissues.
Talking at Fastnet Film Festival in Cork in May, Daisy recalled just how close to her heart Normal People sits. ‘Met Paul, fell in love with Paul… As a friend. I’m announcing it here,’ she laughed. ‘I truly fell in love with Marianne as well. Love was just completely surrounding it.’
On filming their Normal People sex scenes
Let’s be honest, smooching your mates isn’t an easy feat. For actors, it’s part of the job.
Given the sheer amount of NSFW scenes in Normal People, it’s no wonder fans have questioned what was really going through Daisy and Paul’s head while filming them. Even more so when they realised the first major scene happens during the second episode of the 12-part series, and goes on for an impressive 10 minutes...
‘[Filming] that was fun because most of that scene is actually a dialogue scene,’ Daisy previously said. ‘It’s so funny seeing two characters make light conversation while they both fully know why they’re in each other’s presence.’
Daisy also opened up about how she and Paul worked with intimacy coordinator Ida O'Brien to make sure both felt comfortable and safe on set. 'Ita would make sure Paul and I would discuss the boundaries and what we were and were not comfortable with,' she said. 'We also agreed on touch and would say, "this area is fine but please stay off this area," or, "I don't feel comfortable with this."'
Although, as Paul previously recalled, the scenes are nowhere near as sexy as they look on screen.
Revealing that he and Daisy were often cracking up during the show's more saucier scenes, the actor said, 'We had to switch position and our bodies were in close contact. When we separated, it made a really loud fart noise. Me and Daisy started laughing hysterically, but the crew and director all thought that one of us had farted and really were trying to preserve our dignity.'
'Filming those scenes is probably the least sexy thing you'll ever do in your life, so it is amazing that they turned out so brilliantly, because at the time, they are quite unsexy.'
It's official - there's no better duo than Paul and Daisy. Anyone taking best friend applications?...
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.