Normal People cast: who stars in the BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel - and how to watch it

Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People, which sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK, was a popular hit when it was first published in 2018, and still continues to gather fans today
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The series has proven to be an immediate hit, building on the success of the original source material with Rooney co-writing the 12-episode series.

Charting a coming-of-age romance, Normal People has received praise for its sensitive and accurate portrayal of complex young love.

Here’s everything else you need to know about the show.

Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People, which sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK, was a popular hit when it was first published in 2018, and continues to gather fans today (Photo: BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu)Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People, which sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK, was a popular hit when it was first published in 2018, and continues to gather fans today (Photo: BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu)
Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People, which sold more than 500,000 copies in the UK, was a popular hit when it was first published in 2018, and continues to gather fans today (Photo: BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu)

Who is in the Normal People cast?

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Daisy Edgar-Jones, 21, who has starred in Cold Feet, Silent Witness and Gentleman Jack plays Marianne.

Paul Mescal, 24, appears as Connell, in what will be the actor’s first TV role. Mescal has a background in theatre, playing a young Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby at The Gate Theatre in Dublin.

Sarah Greene, who starred in Dublin Murders, appears as Lorraine, and former Skins actor Sebastian de Souza portrays Gareth.

Where is Normal People set, and where was it filmed?

Normal People has a mainly Irish cast, and is set in the Republic of Ireland.

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Locations included the capital of Dublin, and the town of Tubbercurry in County Sligo, which is located on the country’s west coast.

What’s it about?

The story follows the on-again, off-again relationship between Marianne and Connell, which starts while they are still at school.

Connell is popular, while Marianne is not, but the pair start a secret relationship, unbeknownst to their peers.

They both end up at the same University, where Marianne thrives and Connell instead finds himself struggling as the social dynamic changes.

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Normal People follows the journey of Marianne and Connell, as they mature, grow older and try to navigate their way through life.

Where can I watch Normal People?

You can watch Normal People on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.

How many episodes are there?

There are 12 episodes in total, and each episode is half an hour long.

Is there a trailer for the show?

There are multiple trailers available to watch online.

There’s a BBC Three First Look trailer which was first dropped in January 2020. Alternatively, there’s a full length trailer now available.

Hulu, in association with BBC, also has two official trailers available. Both the first and the second were released at the end of March.

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