Normal People spoilers follow.
Normal People star Paul Mescal has revealed the most emotionally taxing part of filming the hit BBC series.
Based on Sally Rooney's 2018 novel of the same name, the popular drama centres on wealthy student Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Mescal), whose passionate on-off relationship spans several years, from school to university.
Related: Normal People's Daisy Edgar-Jones responds to rumour that she 'lost' Connell's chain after filming
Opening up specifically about his character's struggle with anxiety and depression after losing his childhood best friend, Mescal told Stylist: "Filming the scene where Connell breaks down was brutal.
"They called cut and I was still bawling. I wanted desperately for Connell's pain to feel authentic.
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"A massive percentage of people will experience something that Connell and Marianne are experiencing in regards to their mental health."
Related: Normal People is a masterclass in nudity on screen
Elsewhere, the 24-year-old admitted to meeting with a Trinity College counsellor prior to production kicking off, and asking her whether the source material and his approach to the performance felt "real".
"She said that it's like a documentary in terms of how it was written," he remembered. "There were so many details that Sally got so right in terms of Connell avoiding eye contact or crying and not wiping away his tears.
"Then it was about going back to the very start of the novel and building the blocks so it makes sense that he ends up there, you can trace his anxiety back to episodes one and two."
Normal People is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. Weekly double episodes air Mondays on BBC One from 9pm. The show is available to watch on Hulu in the US.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov.
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