>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.

MY NEXT GUEST IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW AS CONNELL FROM THE HIT

SHOW "NORMAL PEOPLE."

>> I WAS JUST CALLING TO SAY THAT I'M-- THAT I MISS YOU.

I-- I CAN'T REALLY TALK TO ANYBODY THE WAY THAT I TALK TO

YOU.

YEAH, UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY, OTHER THAN THE FACT

THAT-- OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I MISS YOU AND...

I REALLY LOVE YOU, MARIANNE.

AND...

YEAH, SORRY.

>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," PAUL MESCUL.

HI PAUL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M GOOD.

I MEAN, I'M IN SID SYDNEY.

I FEEL TOTALLY BIZARRE CONSIDERING WHAT'S GOING ON IN

THE WORLD.

BUT I'M GOOD.

>> Stephen: THERE MUST BE A LOT OF BIZARRE FEELINGS.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS FEELING BIZARRE RIGHT NOW.

YOU HAVE A SPECIAL BIZARRE SITUATION, WHILE YOU HAVE BEEN

SCIALGLY IN LOCKDOWN WITH THE REST OF US, YOU HAVE BEEN PART

OF A PHENOMENON.

"NORMAL PEOPLE" IS HUGE ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND YET, YOU'VE BEEN

LOCKED IN AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND SORT OF

ENJOY, IF YOU WILL ENJOY-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL-- ENJOY

BEING AS FAMOUS AS YOU HAVE BECOME.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY SENSE-- LIKE, WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT THIS

THING THAT YOU DID HAD BLOWN UP?

>> I SUPPOSE MORE RECENTLY, JUST LANDING IN AUSTRALIA, KIND OF ON

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, KNOWING THAT AN AUDIENCE HAS

SEEN IT HERE WAS JUST TOTALLY BIZARRE.

I WAS AT THE BEACH, FIRST DAY OUT OF QUARANTINE HERE, I WAS

RUNNING WITH MY HEAD DOWN, GOING TO THE BEACH.

AND, OBVIOUSLY, BEING IRISH, I'M, I THINK, THE PALEST MAN IN

SYDNEY AT THE MOMENT.

AND I WAS GETTING READY-- AUSTRALIANS LOOCTD AT MY

PALESKIN AND WERE LIKE, "MAKE SURE YOU'RE WEARING SUNCREAM,

AND REALIZED I WAS IN THE SHOW AND THERE WAS A KIND OF AWKWARD

CHANGE WHERE I WAS JUST STANDING VERY UNCOMFORTABLY.

BUT THAT WAS KIND OF A HIGH-- LIKE, KNOWING THAT THE SHOW HAS

BEEN SEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD WAS KIND OF ONE OF

THOSE KIND OF PAIN MOMENTS IN MY HEAD WHERE I WAS LIKE, "WOW,

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY."

>> Stephen: IT'S NOT JUST A POPULAR SHOW.

IT IS ALSO PERHAPS THE MOST RISQUE SHOW IN THE BBC'S

HISTORY.

IT'S BEEN CALLED THE RAUNCHIEST EVER BBC SHOW.

I DON'T THINK IT'S RAUNCHY.

IT'S A BIT RISQUE.

RAUNCHY WOULD BE THERE WERE NO REDEEMING QUALITIES.

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF SKIN, A LOT OF PALE, PALE IRISH SKIN.

I SPEAK AS SOMEONE WHO IS 100% IRISH.

I FEEL LIKE A BEACHED BELUGA WHALE WHEN I TAKE OFF MY SHIRT.

YOU HAVE LET YOUR FAMILY SEE IT?

IS THERE ANY CAUTION TO YOUR MOM OR YOUR DAD OR ANY OLDER OF YOUR

FAMILY LIKE, "BRACE YOURSELF."

>> SO WITH MY PARENTS, I THINK THEY KIND OF KNEW WHAT THEY WERE

GETTING IN FOR TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

I GOT JOB AND THEY REALIZED THERE ARE QUITE A BIT OF SEX

SCENES IN IT.

AND THEY WERE TOTALLY BEHIND IT.

I THINK IT WAS MORE SO KIND OF THE OUTER CIRCLES OF MY FAMILY.

I HAVE AN AUNTIE IN THE WEST COAST OF IRELAND.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE SHOW IS GOING TO BE, AND WE

WARNED HER THAT IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE IT MIGHT BE ENTERING THAT

TERRITORY, MAYBE GO AND MAKE A CUP OF TEA, REMOVE YOURSELF FROM

THE ROOM -- >> Stephen: SURE, VACUUM OR

SOMETHING.

>> I THINK SHE UNDERESTIMATED THAT SOME OF THOSE SCENES ARE

QUITE LONG, SO THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CUPS OF TEA MADE

DURING A COUPLE OF SCENES.

BUT, YEAH, NO, BUT GENERALLY, LIKE, I THINK, LIKE, MY FAMILY,

OBVIOUSLY, ARE ECSTATIC ABOUT THE SHOW.

>> Stephen: THAT'S GREAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

I-- I'VE-- NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED ME TO DO A NUDE SCENE, BUT I WAS

JUST CURIOUS, ONCE YOU'VE DONE ONE OF THESE-- AND, OBVIOUSLY,

THEY'RE FOR THE PLOT.

THEY'RE NOT GRATUITOUS.

IT'S QUITE BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S QUITE MOVING.

HOW DO YOU FEEL AS THE ACTOR-- ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE CAMERA

ANGLES THEY CHOSE?

ARE YOU SAYING TO YOURSELF, "I HAVE TO TALK TO THE-- SHALL WE

SAY-- HAIR AND MAKEUP TEAM TOMORROW?"

>> YEAH, WE HAD-- THERE WAS...

LOOK, IT'S A BIZARRE EXPERIENCE.

YOU KIND OF... IT'S SO HARD TO DESCRIBE, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE

THOSE SITUATION ARE TYPICALLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE INTO,U

THEY'RE TYPICALLY VERY PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS.

>> Stephen: THANK YOU-- THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT QUALIFIER

ON IT.

WE DON'T WANT TO CINCH SHAME ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO LIKES TO

( BLEEP ) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.

( LAUGHTER ).

>> EXACTLY.

>> Stephen: THAT'S WHATEVER.

WE'RE ALL ADULTS.

OKAY?

>> BUT THEN WHEN YOU PUT IN 10 PEOPLE INTO THE ROOM AND --

>> Stephen: SURE.

BOOM OPERATOR.

>> YEAH, BOOM OPERATOR.

AND YOU'RE BEING DOUSED IN, LIKE, FAKE SWEAT.

IT'S JUST A REALLY DIFFICULT THING TO DESCRIBE.

BUT, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD AN AMAZING TEAM.

LIKE AN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE TEAM BEHIND IT THAT MADE THOSE

KIND OF SCENES FEEL LIKE THE LEAST AWKWARD THEY COULD

POSSIBLY FEEL.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE PAUL MESCUL.

♪ ♪ ♪