Stepping Foot On The Game Of Thrones Set Was A 'Surreal' Experience For Pedro Pascal
This post contains spoilers for "Game of Thrones" through season 4.
By the time the HBO series "Game of Thrones" was in its fourth season, the whole world was watching. Based on the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel series by George R.R. Martin, the show was a juggernaut, wowing audiences with its twisty politics, brutal battles, incest, and dragons. No character was safe, and even viewers who read Martin's books had no idea if their favorite would make it to the end of each season. Death was everywhere, and everyone was tuning in to see it each week.
Pedro Pascal ("The Mandalorian," "Narcos") joined "Game of Thrones" in season 4 as Oberyn Martell. Brother of ailing Dornish leader Doran Martell (Alexander Siddig), Oberyn journeyed to King's Landing for two reasons: He wanted revenge for the murder of his sister Elia by Ser Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson), and he wanted to take his place in the Dornish seat on the small council. Oberyn travelled there with his partner Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma), enjoying the city, visiting a variety of sex workers, and generally charming the denizens of King's Landing and viewers alike ... until his incredibly brutal and shocking death.
Pascal did an AMA on Reddit in 2014 when the season was airing, where he was asked about joining the cast of the popular series. He spoke about what it was like to be a part of a huge fan property, something he did again with Star Wars in "The Mandalorian" and with DC Comics in "Wonder Woman 1984."
'Being on-set for the first time was really surreal'
Pedro Pascal said this was a new experience for him because he'd never been part of something he was already a fan of. Of course, he explained, it would have been huge for him, even if he hadn't already been watching "Game of Thrones:"
"And the experience of being on-set for the first time was really surreal and a little overwhelming because even if you didn't know anything about 'GoT,' if you showed up to work on it you'd still be so impressed and wonder how this could possibly be a TV show because it feels so epic when you're doing it.
"To add on top of that the fact that I was already a fan, and was being thrown into the center of such an important storyline and getting to interact with these amazing characters played by these amazing actors, I was pinching myself throughout the entire 4th session. It never really let up; there was never a point of adjustment, I never landed completely. I was kind of in awe of it throughout."
Pascal's appearance on "Game of Thrones" didn't last very long. It's understandable that he never got a chance to stop being in awe of the experience. The dramatic ending for his character was pretty gross but absolutely unforgettable. He did okay for himself afterward, of course. Pascal is the star of a little series you may have heard of called "The Mandalorian," though you may be more familiar with his adorable little co-star Grogu. Especially since we don't see Pascal's face very often in the series.
Up next, Pascal will play Joel in HBO's "The Last of Us," premiering on January 15, 2023. He will then return in the third season of "The Mandalorian," premiering on Disney+ on March 1, 2023.