Paul Mescal cut a casual figure in a white O’Neills sports jacket and coordinated black shorts as he headed to the gym in New York City on Monday. 

The Irish star – who was a Gaelic football player before embarking on an acting career – kept comfortable in a pair of eye-catching green trainers.

Paul, 28, seemed in good spirits as he rocked a pair of dark sunglasses while listening to music through a pair of headphones. 

The Normal People star appeared to be taking a break from multiple incomplete film projects, among them forthcoming historical drama The History of Sound and musical-comedy Merrily We Roll Along. 

Paul will also play Lucius Verus in director Ridley Scott’s eagerly anticipated Gladiator 2 – a sequel to the 2000 epic starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.

Paul Mescal cuts a casual figure in a white O’Neills sports jacket and coordinated black shorts as he headed to the gym in New York City on Monday

The Irish star – a Gaelic football player before embarking on an acting career – kept comfortable in a pair of eye catching green trainers as he stepped out listening to music

But fans have been more interested in the actor’s love life over recent days, with Paul hinting at a new romance with actress Ayo Edebiri.  

Irish actress Ayo, 28, recently shared an Instagram post for St Patrick’s Day on March 17, in which she was joined by the Normal People star. 

The Golden Globe winner, best known for playing chef Sydney Adamu in comedy-drama series The Bear, was pictured leaning on Paul’s shoulder in the image as he rested an arm on her leg.

Captioning the post, she wrote: ‘Happy St Paddy’s!’ 

Followers were inevitably quick to speculate if the picture was her way of announcing they were dating.

They were quick to flood X, formerly Twitter, with their thoughts, with many praising the pair while others questioned if they were set to star in a rom-com together.

Paul and Ayo have been friends for years and were seen posing for pictures together at the BAFTA awards in February alongside Mescal’s All Of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott.

Ayo was last reported to be dating actor and writer Colin Burgess but they kept their relationship very private.

Irish actress Ayo Edebiri, recently shared an Instagram post for St Patrick’s Day on March 17, in which she was joined by the Normal People star

Ayo was last reported to be dating actor and writer Colin Burgess, but they kept their relationship very private (pictured in 2021) 

The romance rumours come just a few weeks after actress Florence Pugh was believed to have caught Paul’s attention. 

The pair reportedly enjoyed one another’s company after the BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London last month.

A source told The Sun: ‘Florence and Paul move in the same circles and have been mates for some time.

‘If their friendship moved into something more romantic no one would be surprised.’

Florence split from her photographer boyfriend Charlie Gooch in October last year.

It was reported at this time that Paul had signed up to a dating app following his split from singer Phoebe Bridgers. 

The actor, a self-confessed Phoebe fan prior to their first meeting, began dating the talented musician in 2020 – shortly after the remarkable BBC drama Normal People turned him into a household name.

It was reported in October last year that Mescal had signed up to a dating app following his split from singer Phoebe Bridgers (Mescal and Bridgers pictured in November 2021)