It was a kiss that broke the internet. An outrageously erotic locking of lips between Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal that had pretty much everyone on TikTok, Instagram and X sweating onto their phone screens.

Sure, it wasn’t real – it’s from their new film All of Us Strangers – but that didn’t matter. The internet saw what it liked and the internet has reacted accordingly ever since. 

In the film – one of many snubs in this year’s Oscar nominations – Andrew, 47, plays grief-stricken Adam, opposite Paul, 27, as his enigmatic love interest, Harry.

Fans were absolutely beside themselves at the scene and the thirst edits quickly rolled in, right in time for a now-adored Paul and Andrew to begin their press tour and lean into this growing hype.

Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi walked so that this steamy pair could run with their undeniable chemistry radiating off them, both on and off-screen.

Not every kiss can create this kind of enthusiasm so we explore how this on-screen romance blossomed into everyone’s favourite bromance.

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal have captured fans’ hearts (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Their on-screen chemistry in All of Us Strangers translated into a real friendship (Picture: Parisa Taghizadeh/ Searchlight Pictures via AP)

The kiss that started it all

Searchlight has released numerous teasing trailers for All of Us Strangers, which showcases a relationship deeper than just raw sexual attraction.

The trailers show Andrew speaking to his on-screen mum and dad – portrayed by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell – who shouldn’t be forgotten amid all the excitement.

These clips are mixed with sweet pillow talk scenes and tension-building moments, cut away just before they kiss.

However – to fans’ delight – there is one sneaky scene released revealing the tongue-heavy sweat-drenched makeout session in the club.

This has been all but scrubbed from TikTok and the internet as a whole, with one version remaining on YouTube for us to watch and respectfully admire the pair’s acting talents.

Andrew and Paul’s ghosting fallout

If the blush-inducing makeout session wasn’t enough to convince you of the hype, seeing Hollywood’s hot new non-couple interact in interviews only went on to prove that their faux romance had translated into an irresistible friendship.

Endless clips from the press tour reveal the teasing and downright flirty bond that has developed between Normal People star and Fleabag’s ’Hot Priest’ and we just can’t get enough.

In one popular video from an interview at Buzzfeed, Andrew called out Paul for not texting him back – jokingly outing him for ghosting frequently.

‘You sent a lovely text,’ Paul began to share, earnestly trying to praise his friend before the Ripley star interrupted him and declared: ‘Which you ignored.’

They star as romantic leads alongside Claire Foy and Andrew Haigh (Picture: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock)

Their teasing friendship is a breath of fresh air (Picture: PA)

The Aftersun actor laughed and realised he had, in fact, not responded, instantly apologising to which his co-star teased: ‘Thank you, it’s all coming out now. F**king ghosted.’

Paul, who is dating singer Phoebe Bridgers, did sweetly remember the last text Andrew had sent him, but the Sherlock star couldn’t think what his friend last sent as it was ‘so f**king long ago.’

The overwhelming fan reaction

Fans went wild for their dynamic, as TikTok user amomentinthekale said: ‘Andrew saw the opportunity to absolutely drag Paul and wow he took it lmaoo.’

‘I could watch their friendship all day 🥰😂,’ added another user named Sweet Spicy Millennial.

Over on X, fan Grace Dante shared a clip of them teasing each other on the red carpet and wrote: ‘God bless Ireland for Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal.’

Alia Shahid responded and called them ‘the pookiest men’ while another fan, Court, tweeted: ‘Their press run has kind of been everything to me and I need them in another project together asap.’

Fans have declared the duo their personal ‘Roman empire’ while dubbing both men the highly complimentary status of ‘baby girl’.

The world went cuckoo with numerous edits of the friendship springing up online, in particular, one clip of Paul reaching out his hand to help Andrew walk down a slippery hill.

This sweet moment, set to a Taylor Swift mashup, went viral with fans calling Paul an undeniable ‘gentleman’.

‘Sometimes baby girl is an Irish man,’ added Lorenzo in response to a video of the pair explaining internet slang – in which Paul declares Andrew is ‘baby girl’ aka cute.

Their sweet confessions of admiration

Acknowledging their newfound icon status as a package deal, while on Patrick Kielty’s Late Late Show recently, Andrew got emotional about his co-star and new bestie.

‘It’s been one of the most extraordinarily beautiful privileges of my life to work with Paul and so wonderful to have a working relationship but also just to develop a friendship like we have,’ he enthused, not looking at his friend directly to help hold back some emotion.

‘It’s really important, particularly in these very intimidating places we get to go to [in the film], it’s just brilliant to have somebody that you love.’

Humbled, Paul responded: ‘To get to share the screen with him, to me, is one of the greatest professional and personal privileges of my life. He’s an extraordinary human being.’

Embarrassed by the display of affection, the Black Mirror actor joked ‘shut up now’ as they laughed off the emotional moment.

Paul and Andrew’s dynamic, along with the Saltburn stars, could signify a new era of male friendships in which this softer and playful side is allowed to be celebrated.

Both called working together a great ‘privilege’ (Picture: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Andrew said the film allowed their friendship to blossom (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Both press tours, as well as Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer for Fellow Travelers, showcase a friendship which has platonic flirting and a vulnerability underneath it all.

While on the Late Late Show, Paul also shared: ‘I’m a huge admirer of Andrew’s work and have been for years.

‘But I think, actually, All of Us Strangers was the catalyst for the friendship – or the bromance that people are referencing now – I think [it] happened as a result of filming All of Us Strangers.’

‘Sometimes you just have chemistry,’ added Andrew. ‘I don’t necessarily mean it’s like physical chemistry or whatever. Chemistry’s a really weird thing with actors, you just have to really enjoy acting with each other.

Sitting naked with each other on a Monday morning apparently helps foster a friendship too (Picture: Todd Williamson/January Images/Shutterstock)

‘But it’s really helped when you like the person! And we had really intense stuff to do in the movie and that kind of bonds you when you’re sitting naked…’

‘On a Monday morning at nine o’clock!’ joked his Paul, to which his co-star replied: ‘You gotta have a laugh!’

We’re sure sitting naked together was a lifelong bonding experience and given the fact they grew up a stone’s throw away from each other – Paul in Kildare and Andrew in Dublin – this Irish duo is bound to cross paths again.

For now, we’ll just enjoy the rest of the All of Us Strangers press tour until we can watch the film on repeat, although fair warning it’s said to be heartbreaking.

All of Us Strangers arrives in cinemas on January 26.

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They are forever our Roman empire.