Sean Penn, who starred in films like Milk, and Mystic River, sat down with British reporter and podcaster Louis Theroux. The pair talked about a variety of topics, including Donald Trump’s second term as president, spending time in jail and his long career in the industry. Penn noted that he is impressed by the new wave of actors in Hollywood at the moment, and singled out one Irish project in particular.

“I see some performances from some young actors where I feel like I should quit and become an accountant because they are so good,” Penn said.

“Do you know about this show Normal People?” Penn asked Theroux.

“With Paul Mescal?” Theroux asked. “And Daisy Edgar Jones. That was terrific.”

Theroux pointed out how simple the love story between the two lead characters is, noting that it doesn’t feel too pinned to today’s timeline, as social media doesn’t play a huge role in the series.

“[It’s] Great, great,” Penn added in agreement with his analysis.

Normal People was based on a novel of the same name by Irish author Sally Rooney. The series, which was released in April 2020, and starred Paul Mescal in his first big role.

Before then, the Co Kildare native starred in theater productions and in TV commercials. He told The Guardian in 2022 that the show’s success was “the perfect storm for a young actor to get a shot at reaching a global audience.”

Indeed the impact of the series did reach far and wide. Penn is not the only celebrity fan, joining some famous faces like Kourtney Kardashian, and James Corden, who said that he “honestly” thought the show “may have changed my life.”

Since the show exploded, both Mescal and Jones have gone on to star in major blockbusters - Mescal in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and Jones in the remake of the cult-classic film Twisters.

Fans begged the creators for a second season of Normal People, to see the pair reunite on screen but one was never confirmed.

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