Pedro Pascal is this year’s Emmy overachiever, receiving three nominations, including one for “The Last of Us” and another as a guest host on “Saturday Night Live.” We talk to him about those shows (and “The Mandalorian”) and how he knows that his massive success also comes with a duty to be a bit of a mentor and role model to others, just like he once had. But first, on the Roundtable, Variety’s Marc Malkin joins us for a deep dive into the state of play with the SAG-AFTRA strike, and how it has seriously affected events and much more. Listen below!
With Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, Actor (Pedro Pascal) and Actress (Bella Ramsey), among others, HBO’s “The Last of Us” is the first live-action video game adaptation to earn major awards from a top Hollywood award organization, whether in television or film. “The Last of Us” earned a total of 24 nominations. (A short film “Inside the Episode” about the show was also nominated.)
Based on the hit game for the 2013 Sony Playstation 3, the show follows the story of Joel (Pascal), a selfish smuggler, and Ellie (Ramsey), a wayward teenager, as they navigate the zombie-infested American wilderness together.
Especially Pascal is on a roll. He is now nominated this year for an Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama (“The Last of Us”), Guest Actor in a Comedy (“Saturday Night Live”) and Narrator (“Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World”).
Read: Variety Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions across all categories.
Prior to the nominations, and before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, Variety’s Clayton Davis spoke with Pascal about “The Last of Us,” “The Mandalorian,” his career right now, and what it feels like to be a role model for young Latinos, LGBTQ, and Hollywood dreamers everywhere who yearn to be in the same position he’s in.
“I want to be able to fulfill the assignment and continue to fulfill it”, says Pascal. “It’s the best part. It’s not necessarily about getting an ’10’, but about understanding someone’s vision and being a scene partner for someone. When it comes to inspiring someone else… maybe that’s the part I don’t want to acknowledge. It can make my heart explode a little.
Watch the full interview at Variety YouTube page or an extract below.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is your one-stop listening point for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about price races and industry headlines; and much more. Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you download podcasts. New episodes are posted every week.