Pedro Pascal, known for his roles in The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, stopped by Hot Ones to voluntarily torture himself with some of the hottest food he’s ever eaten, and share some insights his career and various roles. While eating some spicy, spicy wings, the actor fought back tears and talked about playing the cold, unfeeling male archetype as Joel in the HBO adaptation of the popular video game franchise.
In response to host Sean Evans’ question about how Pascal balances “the noble traits that make a character like Joel heroic, versus the weaker ones that make him human,” Pascal joked, “You’re smart. I never thought about it that way.”
Then, after thinking for a moment, Pascal added, “There’s a funny thing about a very sort of restricted exterior that is typical for these kinds of male archetypes. Don’t show your feelings, people will see you’re weak, survival is key, don’t let anybody in. Developing human connection is not, at least in his mind, key to survival. But then, only to discover that he cannot live without it at any cost.”
And of course, Pascal had plenty of great lines just muddling through the pain. “Has anyone ever projectile vomited during?” Pascal asked. “I’m learning about where all my nerve endings are.”
HBO’s The Last of Us airs on HBO Max on Sundays at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET, with the Season 1 finale airing on March 12. Season 2 could start filming this year.
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