Normal People star Paul Mescal has taken on a brand new role in the form of Channel 5 psychological thriller The Deceived.

The actor recently shot to global fame for his brilliant portrayal of Connell in the renowned BBC Three/Hulu series alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones - directed by Lenny Abrahamson.

The Deceived is a four-part drama following a student called Ophelia (Emily Reid) who has an affair with her professor, Dr Michael Callaghan (Emmett J. Scanlan).

After Michael's wife Roisin (Catherine Walker) mysteriously dies in a house fire, Ophelia begins to suspect that she may actually still be alive.

Helped along the way by her confidante and local builder McKeough (played by Mescal), a potentially pregnant Ophelia tries to figure out the true answers while also trying to maintain her sanity.

The series is produced by New Pictures, the production team behind Catherine the Great.

"We wanted to make a show that nods to classic thrillers but also make something really modern that speaks to a contemporary audience," New Pictures Executive Producer, Charlie Hampton, said.

"The Deceived is a psychological relationship thriller that will have the audience questioning everything and will hopefully leave them wanting more."

Mescal has also starred in a brand new short film in his first-ever film project, called Drifting.

Written and directed by Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney, Drifting is set to premiere at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh.

The film stars Paul Mescal, Dafhyd Flynn, Lorcan Cranitch, Simone Collins, Jarlath Tivnan and Oisin Robbins.

The plot of Drifting centres around the characters of Cian and Pat, life-long friends who have been joined at the hip since they were small, and have the run of their small town in the midlands.

Cian is happy to coast through a life of drinking and casual hook-ups while Pat has grown tired of his surroundings.

The film takes place over 24 hours where Cian’s erratic behaviour pushes Pat to breaking point.

Shownig no signs of slowing down, Mescal also announced that he will join Dublin singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy for a live-streamed gig at the Natural History Museum in London on July 30.

Derry Girls creator and writer Lisa McGee shared the trailer for The Deceived to her Twitter followers yesterday:

Our new show #TheDeceived coming soon to @channel5_tv check out the trailer below!!! @Tobias_Beer @EmmettScanlan @mescal_paul @louisa_harland @SerIanMc pic.twitter.com/LNIGdzCgIJ

— Lisa McGee (@LisaMMcGee) July 11, 2020

The Deceived will air on Channel 5 in August of this year.