We spoke with this jovial Chilean star in Los Angeles about the highly anticipated second season of HBO's most popular series ‘The Last of Us’. Pascal, who emigrated to the United States in his teens, has proven he's the actor of the moment: his career spans decades and is packed with incredible credits in both film and television, working alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Pascal talked to us about returning to his role as Joel in 'The Last of Us', his passion for reading and his past in Madrid.
Pascal echoed the sentiments he feels about the intensity of his character's journey and the weight of the separation that occurs between the protagonists. At the London Hotel in West Hollywood, we spoke with the star of ‘The Last of Us’ to delve deeper into what we can expect from the new season of the series. After becoming known to the world for his role as Oberyn Martell in ‘Game of Thrones’, he captivated audiences in his role as the tough agent in ‘Narcos’, before consolidating his role as the Internet Daddy in global hits like ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘The Mandalorian’. And that's before we see him in the Marvel Universe starring in the new ‘Fantastic Four film’.
One of Pedro Pascal's favorite activities is reading. Therefore, the actor never misses the opportunity to share some of his favorite books with his fans.
Q: What can we expect in the second season of ‘The Last of Us’?
A: I think it was a very beautiful idea of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman to film the first part in an intimate way; just Bella and I, in a cozy setting. At first, an incredibly painful rift opens between them and It's true that the breakup scene was very difficult to film, but we still enjoyed each other on set. We were able to be together, having fun, laughing, and things like that. That aspect of the job was incredibly comforting, because it felt like I was coming home.
Q: This season, Joel must confront his feelings of guilt over having lied to Ellie after saving her life at a high price. How do you feel about your character?
A: I feel a very strong connection to my character and to Ellie, and her relationship with Joel, with Bella, and I think that has given me an unhealthy mindset. Joel and Ellie haven’t been getting along for a while. There’s an incredibly painful distance between them, and I suffered a lot during one scene, but we’ve always had that same connection. That was incredibly comforting to me.
Q: You returned to a character who has been mentally tortured by his own actions for the past five years.
A: It was as if what Joel was going through was happening to me. I was unable to separate what the character is going through from my own feelings. I don’t think that’s very healthy. I must admit that while filming the series was like coming home, but I wasn’t able to distinguish between fictional and real pain in some scenes. I felt grateful to be back, but at the same time, with this experience, more than any other I’ve had as an actor, I wasn’t able to separate the emotions the character is going through from the ones I feel personally. I was able to feel his pain so much that the series has left a deep emotional scar. With this role, I experienced something I’d never felt before. It’s definitely been a new chapter in my life, one that has left a deep chasm due to my personal experience and how I embraced the character. Of course, the way it was received by the public also had an influence. In practice, my first day on set was wonderful because I was able to return to filming alongside Bella, just her and me.
Q: Due to the quality and visceral beauty of the characters, Pascal painfully experienced his character's reverse journey.
A: The hardest part was filming the painful breakup between Joel and Ellie
Q: How do you feel about the immense popularity of such a depressing and pessimistic series? A: There's a very healthy, and sometimes unhealthy, pleasure in that kind of catharsis. I consider it a safe space to see and study human relationships in crisis and pain. I think the plot cleverly draws a political and social allegory, based on the world we live in. The influence of the video game fandom is evident in the second part of the series, but the success of 'The Last of Us' goes beyond that. I honestly think we have a very well-defined story arc this season, and you don’t need to know the video games to enjoy the show. I think it's wonderful that the series is being received in a way that commensurate with its profound importance to all of us. This series is a pillar that owes its success to its creators, Mazin and Druckmann.
Q: A friend, brother, and great companion, would you find similarities to Joel regarding the character's protective attitude toward Ellie.
A: Yes. I'm protective of the people I love. I think that's probably the main trait of his personality that I identify with.
Q: I heard that you love to read?
A: Absolutely. I think that storytelling is cathartic in so many ways, always has been. It’s the way that human beings have made testimony to life. Whether it was, you know, handprints on the walls inside of a cave to a television show that you can stream on Max. Starting April 13th or reading. And so, for me, you know, growing up, I have always and it’s all of my development is based on the books I’ve read, movies I've seen, and television that I’ve watched. And so, it's very much going to reflect the human experience. And under such extreme circumstances, I think that there’s a very kind of, like, healthy and sometimes sick pleasure in, in that kind of catharsis, in a safe space to, to see human relationships under crisis and in pain and, and intelligently draw political allegory, societal allegory and, and based off of the world that, that we are living in, and very beautifully and very intelligently.
Q: Which one is your favorite book by a Spanish Author?
A: No one who has read the beginning of ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ has been able to forget it. I love that book. But also, I do like ‘Enjoy the Trouble’ by the Argentinian Sebastian Mauri.
Q: You have lived in Spain, what memories do you keep from our country?
A: I do love Spain. I came to Madrid in the summer of '96 and worked in a bar. I had an aunt living in Madrid and went while I was studying anthropology. I almost settled in Madrid because I traveled around Spain and fell in love with Madrid. But I came back to New York at the end
Q: You have also worked with the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.
A: Yes. The first Pedro film I saw in the theater was ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’. I haven't missed a single one since. I think his films are full of surprises because of their plots, use of color, acting, sense of humor, and drama. Meeting him had two aspects. It was like meeting a king and also like meeting a relative. He was easy to relate to and also worship. He could make you relax and keep you alert.
Q: Which role has meant the most to you in your career, both emotionally and creatively?
A: They are all different and all are important for me. The role that changed my life was ‘Game of Thrones’. I'll always credit the creators for taking a chance on someone whose resumé included nothing more than a few obscure theater roles and occasional television appearances. I'm still amazed by the opportunity as without ‘Game of Thrones’, I wouldn't have been in ‘Narcos’, ‘The Mandalorian’, or ‘The Last of Us’.
María Estévez
Correspondent writer
