Pedro Pascal marvels at ‘new chapter in my life’
“Every day is a chance to change your life,” he says, after working for years on becoming an overnight success.
So what is 50-year-old Pedro Pascal doing with his newfound fame? Anything he wants.
No doubt 2025 is his year with a role on the hot series “The Last of Us,” back on Max for Season 2 with a recent, shocking twist.
On the big screen, Pascal will soon portray elastic hero Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
“The key is you can’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try,” he says of getting through the lean years. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”
Debuting in 2023, “The Last of Us” was a quick hit for the “Game of Thrones” alum. Pascal plays antihero Joel Miller in a postapocalyptic world plagued by humans morphed by a virus into zombie creatures.
Season 2 includes the addition of Kaitlyn Dever and Catherine O’Hara, plus the shocking murder of a major character — “I’m still in active denial,” Pascal says of the death.
As for Pascal, his recent status as a household name follows turns on “Game of Thrones,” “The Mandalorian” and “Narcos.”
“ ‘The Last of Us’ definitely created a new chapter in my life in a profound way,” he says. “I think it’s because of the personal experience I’ve had making the show. It’s a rare thing. It will never happen again.”
Pascal divides his time between Los Angeles and New York. His good life advice:
Nothing to fear
Zombies, no problem. He isn’t the least bit afraid on set. “The infected are actually quite endearing,” Pascal says. “They’re actors who can’t see and really friendly stunt people who will do anything. They make it all so easy. Not to break the illusion or anything, but on the day, the zombies are so easy. They’re mostly Canadian, and if they bump into you they say a quick sorry.”
‘Us’ and them
Creating “The Last of Us” is an emotional journey, he says. “My mindset was grateful to be back on set, and yet, at the same time, this experience, more than any other I’ve had, is hard for me to separate what the characters are going through and how it makes me feel,” Pascal acknowledges. “In a way, that isn’t very healthy. But I feel their pain.”
Relationships evolve
In the second season, the action revolves around the brotherly bond between Joel and Tommy (Gabriel Luna). “We started Season 1 together, so there was a kind of bonding, initiation process and stepping into all of it,” Pascal shares. “We even went river rafting together to bond.”
As for his relationship with Ellie (Bella Ramsey), he says their father-daughter bond is stressed. “It’s five years later. They are in a different place, and I think this is a very relatable fissure in relationships between parent and child or anyone you love. It’s (expletive) heartbreaking! Bring on the tears!”
‘Appreciate the gifts’
O’Hara joins “The Last of Us” this season as Joel’s therapist. “His therapist deserves high pay,” Pascal jokes before complimenting one of his acting idols. “The thing about Catherine is, I’ve seen her in absolutely everything. I am a huge fan. And what’s cool is she is known so well for comedy, and I get to do a dramatic scene with her. … Look out for the bucket list moments in life. Appreciate the gifts.”
What’s my line?
Has he ever forgotten his lines? “Many years ago, I did Shakespeare and forgot my line,” Pascal confesses. “It was a nightmare. I turned to the audience and said, ‘Whatever.’ … You can’t beat yourself up. Luckily, the next line came.”
Big screen dream
Pascal fell in love with movies as a boy. “My dad was basically taking us to the movies at a very young age. He loved going to the movies. I’d go on a school night, and it hasn’t really changed since. It imprinted itself very early,” he says. “Later, my mom would drop me off at the movie theater when it was light out and pick me up when it was dinnertime. … I told my mother, ‘I want to go to acting classes.’ ”
Bigger picture
“Storytelling is cathartic,” Pascal says. “Watching a story on TV or at the movies is a safe space to see human relationships under crisis and in pain and intelligently draw a political allegory, societal allegory and base it off of the world we’re living in.”
Hitting rewind
“I did my first short film in 1996 in New York, called ‘Burning Bridges,’” he shares. “I had a copy of it on VHS in those days and watched it 27 times or more. I’m sure I still have that VHS somewhere.”
Killer instinct
“Early on, I remember always being cast as the killer. I did all the “Law & Order” shows. I was so used to being in those interrogation rooms and confessing all.”
Moment to moment
“I’m relinquishing all expectations about what it means to be middle aged and what it means to be fully grown up. I’m living in the moment. … The moment teaches you everything you need to know.”