It was a big weekend for Paul Mescal fans: not only did the Aftersun star win Best Actor at the 2023 Olivier Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, April 2, for his take on Stanley Kowalski in the West End adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire, but there was also a reappearance of The Shorts™.
You know the ones: the Normal People actor has famously taken to wearing thigh-skimming sports shorts while jogging around East London, portraying Connell Waldron in the breakout Hulu hit (a pair of which he autographed and auctioned for charity to help Ukraine), or while meeting fans at the stage door of Streetcar, as he seemingly did after a performance on April 2. One admirer posted a TikTok of Mescal wearing the leg-bearing style this weekend, and social media basically imploded. (More on that in a bit.)
For his part, Mescal is aware of the effect said short-shorts have on the world at large. In an October 2022 sit-down with his The Lost Daughter co-star Dakota Johnson for Interview Magazine, the actress commented on Mescal's now-signature leggy look: "It’s really a strong look. You do look good in short shorts." Mescal joked, "I've got a pretty extensive short shorts wardrobe," to which Johnson replied (for all of us, really): "We know, Paul."
Domino's—yes, that Domino's—is even rolling out an official spring-summer uniform inspired by Paul Mescal's short shorts at its newest location in Maynooth, Ireland, which just so happens to be the Irish actor's hometown. Per The Irish Mirror, Domino’s Maynooth Chief Operating Officer George Bertram said: "Our new Domino’s store in Maynooth was the ideal location for the fashion shoot to reveal our new Spring Summer uniform, the Short Short, as an ode to local Gaelic Football, and our local Hollywood icon.
Get a pair to Paul, STAT!
Fans react to those teeny Paul Mescal shorts:
Needless to say, social media users were plenty happy to see the return of Mescal's teeny, tiny man shorts. Here's what folks are saying on Twitter:
new paul mescal in short shorts just dropped pic.twitter.com/Gx9CHcHq9bApril 3, 2023
Thank you Paul Mescal, the only man who seems to understand that this is the correct men’s shorts length pic.twitter.com/uCeR5e3VWPApril 3, 2023
in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death, taxes, and paul mescal in the teeniest tiniest lil shortsApril 3, 2023
so what does paul mescal do outside of wearing tiny shorts and walking around with his earbuds on 1000April 3, 2023
paul mescal knows how much we love that he loves short shorts pic.twitter.com/pVi5dQFCoeApril 3, 2023
would like to extend a personal thank u to paul mescal’s booty shorts thank u for your service 🫡🫡April 3, 2023
no thoughts just paul mescal wearing short shortsApril 3, 2023
