- [Clayton] Well, look at you, sir. Pedro Pascal.
- No, look at you. - Look at you.
- Clayton Davis. - Listen, very happy to be with you today. - [Pedro] I'm happy to be here. - I'm very happy for this Pedro movement. - Somebody stop me. - It's infectious, everyone loves you. You're having, I won't say a great year, great decade, I don't know
how you describe it yourself. How are you describing this time period? - I can view it in really,
really practical terms. In terms of what happened
after I got "Game of Thrones," which was what felt like a
really lucky circumstance, and the break that felt
like it changed things as far as previous work
that were big breaks to me, because it meant being able
to pay rent and continue. You know what I mean? - [Clayton] Paying bills is important. - Yeah. Super important. And so, you know, this seven episode arc on the fourth season of "Game of Thrones" that David Benioff and
Dan Weiss were willing to take a chance on as far as an actor who was unknown by comparison. It hasn't been the same for me since. - So it really is that role, that job. - [Clayton] So, big
break "Game of Thrones?" - No shit. - And then HBO said, we're
gonna keep you in the family, right, for a little bit.
- Yeah. Yeah. - "The Last Of Us".
- Yeah. Jumping ahead. - I'm gonna jump ahead 'cause listen, we have so much to talk about. You are sitting with the
awards editor at Variety, and I am calling you an Emmy contender. And my opinion is all that
matters in this landscape of television award, so I
just want you to know that. - Oh, that's why I'm here. - That's why you're here.
(Pedro laughing) Were you ever reluctant
to take "Last Of Us"? Because some of us still have
PTSD from "The Walking Dead" - Yeah.
- And that not going as well as we had hoped it would go. - You mean from the start
of "The Walking Dead" and how impressive the- - The zombie standpoint, like, you know? - Right.
- There's an oversaturation of zombie stuff right now. - Well, can we just
talk for a second about where it feels like it
started and was reinvigorated? - Yes.
- What's your opinion? Which movie do you think kind
of reignited the zombie genre? - I mean. - [Pedro] This is a test. - I know, I mean, it was
definitely pre "World War Z," but I mean like a "Dawn
of the Dead" I guess. - Eeeeh! (laughs) - Good, what would call? - "28 days later." - Mm.
- "28 Days later." Even though it's a rage virus,
but still was sort of like the conversation about zombies. And I don't know how much
of a hit that movie was, but I saw it.
- It's a masterpieces also. - It's also a masterpiece.
- Yeah. - I saw it in the movie theater
and I had like, you know, that kind of experience as a grown adult where something gets kind of
into the fabric of your skin and I had nightmares, but they were kind of
adventure nightmares. And I remember that
thrill seeking experience like being on a ride, but also pretty sophisticated material. I'm gonna turn this entire
podcast into talking about "28 Days Later."
- It's good. It's our spinoff. Go ahead. - But anyway, I recognize, I've loved keeping track
of everything that happened after "28 Days Later" because
then I was really surprised by "Dawn Of The Dead," I
thought it was really good and had one of the best
openings of a horror movie I'd seen in a really long time. Anticipated very much the
start of "The Walking Dead." And I guess I guess I
really liked the genre and also felt the oversaturation, so much so that I kind
of started forgetting about the genre a little bit. And then "The Last Of Us" came along, which inserted itself very
spontaneously into my life where I thought that I would
be doing something else for the next couple of years. Within that, there was
just like a small window of opportunity where I got a phone call, and was asked to look at these scripts by Craig Mazin and I was like, "The guy who wrote 'Chernobyl'?" And they said yes. And if it hadn't been Craig, I think I wouldn't have looked at them. Not to say, I just didn't feel like psychologically reconstructing the future, or taking the shine off
of what I was planning to do anyway.
- Yeah. - Do you know what I mean? And I was really kind of reluctant from changing the energy up in terms of what I was
already planning on doing. But it was Craig Mazin. 'Cause I hadn't heard of "The Last Of Us". I didn't know about the
game and, 'cause I'm old. - No, I mean, just say because
you're not a gamer, right? I'm like, my game days
are kind of behind me now. It's just "FIFA".
- Yeah. I think that I, no, I
guess I'm not a gamer in that I don't have the
skill with the console, what are they called? - Game controllers. Yeah
- Game controllers. - So you can't play "Mortal
Combat" or anything like that. - I was good at like
"Super Mario Brothers," late eighties punch out that stuff. - [Clayton] You're touching
my heart right now. - And even earlier, like
we didn't even have Atari, we had ColecoVision,
which I think was like the diversion of Atari.
- Yeah. - And it was "Mouse Trap" and "Frogger." All that stuff and arcades
and the cinemas, you know? And so a big gamer in that
regard from like the original, you know, "Tron" and stuff like that, but not the more sophisticated,
you need to be talented and you need to have
actual, you know, skill. Back to when I got a call
and was asked to look at these scripts and if I like them, the writer Craig Mazin
would like to jump on a Zoom with you, and so after reading, they sent me the first three scripts. And I think that as it
was expressed in the pilot that was aired, it starts in
a very kind of intimate way and it gradually forces you into a very world building story. But it is so smartly
through the perspective of the character Sarah
played by Nico Parker. And that was immediately
engaging to me just as a reader. Like it got me, it
entertained me right away. And that's always like a good sign, because if the part is good,
but the whole thing is like, like if the part is attractive, let's say, because if it isn't good, then the part can't really be good, but it can still be attractive
lead type of character. I find that it works better
for my brain if I like it as a reader or as an
audience member, you know. And I find it like,
"Ooh, I wanna see this." You know what I mean? And so I noticed that right
away and met with Craig and hadn't even got a chance, hadn't even had the chance to finish the first three episodes yet. And then talked with Craig
and had an instant chemistry with him and then kind of
felt the draw of working with somebody that I was gonna
get along with really well. And I know how to get
along with everybody. - Yeah.
- You know what I mean? But it doesn't mean I like everybody. - Yeah. Oh.
(Pedro laughing) Okay, now we're all gonna
wonder, but alright. - No,
- I got it. - Not, you know,
professionally, like, you know, - You can make it,
- At the grocery store, at a job, you know what I mean? Or it isn't, you know what
that like is too provocative. Like, or not like is too
provocative way of a put it. It doesn't mean that I'm
feel comfortable or myself with everybody, do you know what I mean? - Not like right now where
you're just coming alive. - I like you very much.
- Yeah, I like you too. - I have no problem admitting that. - I actually have a
follow-up question about it, because one thing that I
love so much about you, and Joel, the character,
is one of my big things I write about here is
diversity in film, television. I wanna see it, I'm a Latino
black man in journalism. Not very many of us are here. - Yeah.
- You are the goal that I want to see, 'cause
when we talk about diversity, we all seem to be talking
about different things. You're Latino in a leading role, but it, Joel doesn't have to be
Latino, Joel could be anybody. And that's where I get really excited. It's like you're there,
you're representing, you're doing some great
things and you can just be, you don't have to be like overly Latino. You can just be Pedro Pascal playing Joel. And how that translates to the Emmy race. You may not be aware of this,
75 years of Emmy history, one Latino has been nominated
for lead actor drama. - It's Jimmy Smits.
- Jimmy Smits. - He didn't win? - He didn't win for "NYPD Blue." Not lead not during that time.
- I had a guess start on "NYPD Blue."
- No, you didn't. Did you really?
- Oh hell yeah, I did. - [Clayton] Wait, when. - That would've been 1999. It would've aired, no, I shot it in 2000. - Really?
- Yeah. - Oh, life comes full circle now. So I feel like I'm looking
at potentially number two and three that's out there,
like Diego Luna as Andor, like I don't have to just like put all my eggs in one basket.
- Right. - There's a lot of baskets here. Do you feel.
- That is crazy. - Do you feel that wave
coming that you can just be Pedro Pascal, an actor,
versus Pedro Pascal, like the Latino guy that we
have for Latino roles, you know? And we love you like on "Narcos"
and everything like that. But do you feel that
that change right now? - I think that the change
is really important, and that the best way to
continue representation is exactly as you put it. Just casting a person into a role that isn't limited to opening the, not limiting to a character
to its racial identity. - Yeah.
- You know, especially if it's an IP that
we're familiar with, or a book and people get so butt hurt
about this kind of stuff, but who cares, because
that is the coolest way of like moving the needle is being open about the casting in every way. You know, I remember looking
at a script and thinking, "God, wouldn't it be
so," and there was this real sort of scary parental figure, and it was written as a
father and then I thought, "God, wouldn't it be
interesting if it was a mother?" Like if it was, you know, Dianne
Wiest instead of, you know, and sort of treating the
approach with some originality and let that originality be inclusive. - Yeah, that's awesome, thank you. - You know what I mean? - Yeah, no, you- - Instead of being like
these are the instructions, this is how we need to follow it. This is the way, this is, let's
label what representation is and follow those, no. I think that we need to
continue discovering it, and making sure that we
understand that representation is in service of telling the story. - [Clayton] Yeah. - Instead of fulfilling a
political frustration, you know, which is totally legit.
- Yeah. - Also, it's very funny. It's a very interesting
thing I think to navigate and I think that it deserves
all the attention in the world so that we do navigate it. And that the needle does
move and that things do kind of like change and- - Yeah. It's awesome. Glad to hear that, thank you, Pedro. - You're welcome. - So, I need to ask about
season two of "Last Of Us" that right now is not happening
'cause time of recording. We are in the middle of a writer strike. - Yeah.
- And, I know you're not a gamer, but
I'm sure you're hyper aware of what happens in "Last
Of Us II" the video game. - Yeah.
- To Joel. This isn't a spoiler
alert 'cause video games I think are different
animal, but we lose Joel. And we lose him.
- What? - He is killed.
- What? What? - Horribly killed in game two. - What are you talking?
- Yeah, I know. And it also time jumps also in the future. Do you, 'cause it's such a
catalyst for what happens and the show has really close,
semi closely followed that. Do you know if we're going to
explore that five year gap, or are we gonna go right into "Last Of Us" video game Part II mode? I need to prepare myself
if I'm going to lose you very early on in "Last Of Us Season II." That's what I'm asking. - I'll always be with you. - Yes.
- No one has ever gone. I wanna, I'm misquoting. - Star Wars?
- No, I'm misquoting Tony Morris, which is terrible. - Yeah, it's fine, there's a
portion of that everywhere. - No one has ever lost or anyway, I actually don't know,
and here's the thing. I think that if you think
about the kind of construct of a show, especially as it begins, and not knowing whether or
not it will do well or great, or not, you know, they
marry themselves very much to the adaptation of the
first game, for example. And I remember back to
"Narcos" for example, people feeling frustrated
that they lose Pablo Escobar as soon as they did, but
they already had an outline with the first two seasons and
they ended the first season with Pablo Escobar's escape from prison, not knowing that the world
would fall madly in love with Wagner Moura.
- Mm. - Not necessarily with Pablo Escobar, but with Wagner Moura and his performance. - Yeah.
- But then they only had a certain amount of months
left of the character's life from where they ended the first season. If they had known, so
who knows in terms of, if they could guarantee
the success of the show, if they would've teased
out the first season more. But I think that would be a
mistake because ultimately they are in service of an
IP that works really well, and are finding very unexpected
ways to expand on it. And that being said, I think
that part two has more leeway. I think it seemed to me as far as the people that I talked to, that it's a different
immersive experience. And while there are
things that have to happen for the central narrative to occur, it seems like it's a little bit more open. So that means I don't fucking know how. - Or you're a really good liar
- How they're, How they're gonna do it. - [Clayton] Yeah, will you be- - No, I think I should know. - Would you be bummed?
- And they haven't, - Would you be bummed if you
died early on in season two? - None if it's good. - [Clayton] Okay. - You know? - Do you know how the character
dies in the video game? - 'Cause I love good television. Move on.
- Okay, fine. All right, I'm gonna- - Geez Louise.
- I just wanted you to answer. - Maybe they're gonna, maybe they're gonna do it,
maybe they're not gonna do it. - [Clayton] Okay. - You haven't seen the
world so you don't know. (zombie screeching) Keep going for family. - Let's go to "Mandalorian", the helmet. The man under the helmet. It really did explore some
new territory this year. And "Star Wars" continues to be a very interesting world
building experience. I spoke about it recently
that your co-star will be campaigning lead
actress this year for the show because the show really
centered around her character. - Around Katee, yeah. - You just said her name, right? Yeah, you know her.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - That one, what was it like this season? Because it really put a focus on her, and I guess where we can go from here. - I think it was great
in that it also comes into a full realization
of a beloved character that is from the world of Dave Filoni, and, you know, Bo-Katan,
'cause Din Djarin is a creation that starts with combining
the worlds of "Star Wars," Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. - Yeah.
- And introducing this character through
the live action show, "The Mandalorian" and then
creating the opportunities of pooling references,
and live action characters from his Dave Filoni's
beloved animated series. And so, sure, everyone
gets to kind of experience the excitement of the
character being introduced. And she's a badass and
it's perfect casting. And I am a big "Battlestar
Galactica" fan boy. - Really?
- Yeah. Big time. I own the DVDs. - I'm happy you own physical media. Physical media forever.
- Right. - Forever. Thank you. - I still can't think of
anything that has a better intro than "Battlestar Galactica" every episode. - Yeah.
- Just the thrill of the drum beat and being, showing you what was gonna
happen in the episode, but still throwing your scent off of what was gonna happen in the episode. And so I remember Dave talking
to me about the possibility of casting the voice actor of Bo-Katan in the live action role. And I was like, "Katee
Sackhoff, you have to do it!" And so anyway, I just think it was perfect that we get to meet and see the character. And she gets to do cool
shit in the second season, and then take center stage in the third. And it's what I would
want for the character, and as a fan of the "Clone Wars." (upbeat music)
- Your cult, fractured our people. (upbeat music continues) Where were you then? - This year the fans were denied. - My face?
- Your face. This season have a
definitely a more vocal voice performance more than anything else Does that operate differently for you versus like any other
time during the seasons, or previous seasons? - It's been such an interesting
experiment throughout in that there was limited
time for me on set in the first season, and kind of a collaborative
process of creating and establishing a physical
presence that was like, based on what they
needed for the character, what the costume, what the
silhouette is, what, you know, what Brendan Wayne can do,
what Lateef Crowder can do. And what was important
to John and Dave and me as far as of a physical
language was concerned. And then stepping into it for
the majority of season two, because I wanted to, and
I wanted to sort of see how far little could go. And it was really cool,
but very hard, you know? And very physically demanding
in a way that, number one, the show needs to get shot, and there are so many
departments and elements that go into creating the
visual experience of that show. - Yeah.
- And so many bodies, and it didn't seem, you
know, true to be concerned with Din Djarin's face and
being really economical if it was gonna get
done then for it to have the most amount of impact.
- Yeah. - There was actually a version
of an episode in season two where he takes his helmet off in the beginning of the episode, and is in a different kind of a costume. And we had a conversation
and we like, and I was like, "I think we should hold it." And they're like, "What
do you, are you crazy?" And I was like, "No, I really
think that it should come when the stakes feel the highest." You know, and look, that's not, I'm not the outlier of the
universe who doesn't care about, you know, my face or, but it didn't. I would much rather the show work than betray it to any
kind of like, you know, human need to be seen, because
the show was presented to me as "The Mandalorian" and all
of its like visual identity. At that point there was so much experience for everyone involved in terms
of authoring this character that it was able to become
mostly a voiceover gig for season three for the most part. And always maintain what
the initial experience was, which is very, very an surgical post work in terms of the writing,
the dialogue, the tone, even stuff I was on set for, being able to kind of
like review that again, hear how it sounds is unbelievable
how well they pick up. - Yeah.
- There's a mic pack like, you know, packed into the helmet, and being able to again
re-author, be like, "Let me make this sound
a little more intense." And in such a surgical tiny way. And so yeah, it's been, it's harder work than you think, and more fun than you
would expect as well. I can get a little granular.
- Yeah. You know, my brain can get a little, and so it's been a great
opportunity and Jon Favreau has always like really
been so collaborative, especially in that process of it. - But just quick shout out to
Disney and "Star Wars" peeps 'cause you're this season,
I don't know, again, inside these walls people,
regular people may not see, but Crowder and Brendan are credited- - Yeah.
- With the opening credits. - Yeah.
- Like that is, we fight for stunt people
to get their recognition all the time.
- Absolutely. Absolutely. - And it's good to see
their names on there. Awesome, I know we have, I don't wanna keep you all day, even I do wanna keep you all day. Strange way of life.
- Yeah. - 'cause you are a film guy
as well and my philosophy is you are only a great actor
if you have a good Oscar snub under your belt, and you do, because I believe you
should have been nominated for the "Unbearable Weight
Of Massive Talent" last year. You can read the article where I say where is Pedro's nomination?
- Oh man. - And now you're gonna team
up with my other favorite guy, Ethan Hawke.
- Yep. - And you know this up
and coming director, also named Pedro.
- Right. - Talk about "Strange Way Of Life" and filming that with Pedro. That's a short and really
should be a feature film that's three hours long. - Oh man. Aah! - There you go.
- Has Pedro ever made a three hour movie, he wouldn't dare. - I don't think so, no.
'Cause he respects my time. - Exactly, and people's lower back issues. You know, I saw "Women On The
Verge Of Nervous Breakdown" in the movie theater, Balboa
Peninsula, Orange County, California with my whole family. And it really was the kind of thing that changes your- - DNA.
- DNA, exactly. When you see that level of
color, that kind of comedy, that kind of sexual
atmosphere of every kind, with every facet of dangerous,
functional, tragic, you know? A kind of circus of
energy and also homaging all of very specific
classic cinema and theater. And I seem to, at a very young age, be able to absorb all of that. And thereafter, Pedro being
a favorite of my family's didn't miss anything
that he made after that. And so it was a dream
to meet him, number one. He actually reached out to me and, when I was doing "King Lear." I was playing Edmond in a
Broadway production of "King Lear" that Glenda Jackson was was the king. And he had reached out
and was very curious about the production and
wanted to come and see it. And he was like, "How long is it?" I said, "It's three hours and 45 minutes." And he was like, "Hey Pedro, hey Pedro." (speaking Spanish) you know. He's like, "Maybe we meet for
coffee, instead." (laughs) And was kind enough, and had
nothing in mind for me at all. - Really?
- Simply just people in common and was aware
about how vocal I was in terms of my admiration for him. So very, very generously reached out, got together for some coffee
and just chatted away, and established a connection
and a relationship. And then a couple of years
later, he reached out. I hadn't even seen "Pain And Glory" when I sat down with him the first time. I don't think it had come yet. - Even know that Antonio Banderas was about to get an Oscar nomination. They weren't aware, look at that. - For me that was the
performance of the year. It was, you know,
- It was great. - There were incredible
performances all around that year. But I wasn't surprised by
what Antonio Banderas did, but I was still floored 'cause
he's always turned it out in everything, but it was still
kind of something so moving in that he seemed to come
up with an interpretation that was not, what do you call it? Mimicking is too patronizing of a word, but basically, you know, playing Pedro. But it was almost like
playing Pedro's soul in a way, and a person that he has known personally and professionally for so many decades. I just haven't seen anything like that. I haven't seen that kind of
authorship in a performance where there are so many
layers of doing it. You can come up with, you can
study a person physically, but it wasn't that, it was more like, "I understand you and
am going to do that." But anyway, I remember
that just moved me so much, but then a couple years after I sat down with Pedro in New York, he
called me on Christmas Eve, and said that he had a short film that he wanted to do with me. And I said, "Merry Christmas." And he was like, he's like,
"Yeah, no, I, is it Christmas? I don't do holidays." And I was like, "I'm
with you, I'm home alone. Like hiding from the world." - Oh no, can you come to
my house for Christmas? - Yeah, absolutely.
- You can come to. My wife is the best cook I know. - There was another wave, there was another Los Angeles wave. This was a Christmas - '21, probably.
- '21 into '22. Yeah.
- Remember? - [Clayton] When when
we were like thinking- - We had another wave during the holidays. - Yeah, it was like right before BAFTA and everyone got like COVID.
- Yeah. - And then, yeah.
- Yeah, exactly. And then, you know, the
conversation started there and I was shooting "The
Last Of Us" at the time. And I think that it's
fascinating to see him get his feet wet with English language, because there are cultural identities that can sort of marry
themselves a little bit more with identities outside of their culture, if that makes any sense? And Spain, I would not say
is one of them, you know?, It's a very, very firm identity. - Yeah.
- As far as cinema is concerned,
and so it's so beautiful to see Pedro as the artist that he is to kind of be like, "I'm not gonna," God knows how many offers
from Hollywood he turned down after "Women On The
Verge" or "Law Of Desire" or any of the things
that started to emerge in his sort of career in the eighties. - Yeah, that's what you talked to her, like when he won the Oscar for that. - Exactly.
- Absolutely. - Honestly, I can't even
imagine the amount of time, the amount of times he was
asked to kind of come in and do a feature, all
of which he said no to. And to meet somebody who is uncompromising in terms of what their process is. Because it isn't a standard, but it's just being true to themselves. You know, I can't understand
it in any other way. And for him to sort of use
the short film experience with Tilda Swinton and then
move into this experience with Ethan and I, and Ethan. - Talented guy. - I saw "The Explorers"
in the movie theater. Does anyone even know what that is? - I've heard of "The Explorers." I don't think I've ever seen it. - It's like the realm of like in the, the same wave of like
"The Goonies" you know? - Yep, my favorite movie of all time is "Dead Poets Society." - I saw "Dead Poets Society"
in the movie theater. - Yep.
- And then I went to, you know, I started college
and saw "Reality Bites" and then he published a book
and then I saw him off Broadway and then on Broadway and
then I saw him direct a play. And the "Before Sunrise", "Before Sunset," "Before Midnight" being my
favorite movies are again another sort of authorship and rebellious kind of career. - Yeah.
- Refusing to limit it to any one thing.
- Also shout out, he may win an Emmy this year too for directing "The Last
Movie Stars" his documentary, which is pristine.
- Which I got to watch while we were shooting the movie together. - Yeah.
- So it was this highly magical experience
in 117 degree temperature in southern Spain in beautiful layered Saint Lauren costumes.
- Yeah. - But still with two legends
kind of sandwiched between them and serving as sort of a
language interpreter as well. Pedro speaks great
English as much as he says that he doesn't. - [Clayton] He plays it up. - He gets by just fine with the English. And so it was, I couldn't
have written it myself as far as the experience was concerned, and also the feeling that
it was to be listened to, and to be, and for them to
want to, you know what I mean? To be a colleague of these people. - A woman was found killed in town. (suspenseful music) (horse neighing) (body thumping)
(person grunting) - You're doing this film called
"Two Gladiator Two Furious." Right, that's what it's called,
that's the working title? - I call it "Gladiator
Two Electric Boogaloo." - "Electric Boogaloo," with Paul Mescal, which he's also a
troublemaker too good looking for his own good.
- Is he a troublemaker? - [Clayton] He's just
like, you know, like he's- - Well, let's
- Like you, just like you. - Let's take care of that.
- Yeah. We'll talk to him on set for
me and tell him you have to, you know, bring him, sit higher than him. - Cut the shit, Paul Mescal. - When it got announced that
you were in "Gladiator Two", it said an unknown role, but Clayton Davis loves Joaquin Phoenix
and I see similarities in things between Pedro and Joaquin. And I was wondering, not that
you would answer this anyway, if you knew, or if you
were willing to share what role you would be
playing on in the film 'cause I have a theory.
- You're just lubing me up. - [Clayton] I'm just asking
what the people are wondering. - You telling me that I
remind him of Joaquin Phoenix so that I can literally
get fired by Paramount by telling him, I'll be like, "What? You think I'm like, you think
I'm like Joaquin Phoenix? Let me tell you everything. Here are the keys to my house." - Well, we already, I invited
you over to spend Christmas, and we can extend, I have
an extra room for you. But how excited are you to do that, and what are you you willing
to tell us about the picture? - I haven't been put
under any instruction, but you know how scared we
get in terms of miss-stepping on all this stuff. It's such a scary landscape
to kind of navigate. - Yeah.
- I used to, it's never caught up to me, but boy, not with a microphone in front
of me or anything like that. But I definitely talked to an
Uber driver about everything. - It's about all your
Uber drivers we can get, we can piece it together. - I remember being in an Uber in London before starting to shoot "Wonder Woman" and a very conversational Uber driver asking what I was doing in London, and me telling him and then
gradually starting to explain the entire plot of "Wonder Woman 1984." And realizing maybe I shouldn't,
maybe I shouldn't do that. But anyway, that being said, I think that I can only say that as we were talking about Almodóvar, the idea of being on a set, but one of Ridley Scott's sets, three of his movies being in my top 10. And this is coming from a movie nerd. - I have to ask you which three. - I have to ask you to guess. - "Thelma & Louise?" - Yes.
- "Black Hawk Down?" - No.
- No? "Gladiator?" - I love it. I love it. I love "Gladiator," I mean
I really love the movie. - [Clayton] "Blade Runner,"
you're a "Blade Runner" guy for sure.
- "Blade Runner" dude. - And "Aliens?"
- Yes. - There you go.
- Well take the plural out of it.
- Oh, oh, "Alien?" - "Alien."
- Okay. - He didn't direct "Aliens." - Oh yeah.
- Clayton. - I'm sorry, I didn't, I
knew this, I knew this. I misspoke.
- Don't let me down. - My bad, my bad. Yes, so "Alien", "Blade
Runner," and "Thelma & Louise?" - Yeah, that being said, I
would kind of play anything. - Okay.
(Pedro laughing) - So long story short,
no, you're not telling us, but you're excited to work
with Ridley Scott on this role that may or may not be just like Commodus. - And Denzel Washington, and Paul Mescal, and you know, that is, again, stepping into or continuing
to step into territory that feels like really, exciting is such a
pedestrian way of putting it. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to kind of shed the identity of someone who was under the
influence of these people for as long as I was, specific
to the late seventies, eighties, early nineties in
terms of my brain being a sponge and wanting to be on the
screen, or on the stage. And so it's kind of an, it is a little bit of an
awkward experience sometimes, because yeah, I'm invited to the table, and I have a seat at the table
and I deserve to be here. But you know, the other part
of me is like glitching out on. - [Clayton] Imposter
syndrome a little bit? - Imposter syndrome related, and just sort of like under
the blanket of like admiration. You know, and I think
that that's something worth coming into full acceptance of, because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for those influences. And therefore, if that
takes precedence over, or if that takes up the space of like where I'm supposed
to feel entitled to be there, then fine, you know? - I get it, and last question, we have to call you out on
something 'cause in 2020, October, 2020 you were
on the cover of Variety. - Yes.
- And a wonderful story written by my colleague, Adam Vary. - Yes.
- In said story, you said you were offered
"Wonder Woman 1984" and you said, "That will never happen again." Fast forward to May, 2023, you lied to Adam Vary and the rest of us 'cause you have been
offered many roles long in- - Not in the same way. - In the streamlined sense of you are, you're riding a wave of
star power, admiration. What you say, Denzel Paul
Mescal, Ridley Scott, you know, Ethan Hawke,
what Pedro meant to you. You're meaning a lot to
a lot of other people. I don't know if you've taken
that part in quite yet. - All right, I'm not gonna argue with you. - But what does it feel
like to have that statement be wrong, have you be so
wrong in October, 2020? - I think, you know, there's
something in me that is, I think I could have
been a good trial lawyer, because all I wanna do
is argue your point, (Clayton laughing)
- and be like, "Technically I'm not wrong." - Oh.
- Because what I meant was, the way I was offered
"Wonder Woman" is still sort of hasn't happened in that it just seemed like at the time, it seemed like at the
time I didn't like a gift. Like a real, just here you go. Which seemed crazy to me. - Well word semantic, that's
fine, that's fine, that's fine. - But I wanna be able to fulfill
the assignment, you know, and continue fulfilling the assignment, because that is the best part. It's not about necessarily getting an A, but it's definitely an anchoring thing in terms of understanding
someone's vision. Especially if it's somebody that you've, whose influence you've
been under for so long. And also fulfilling the
role of like scene partner for somebody who's super impressive. And if it comes with actually
inspiring somebody else that maybe that's the
component that I'm kind of like unwilling to recognize
because it can make my- - I see the body language,
I feel like you can't even- - It can just kind of make my
heart explode a little bit. - Yeah.
- Because I suppose that like to think, you know,
'cause I needed all of this, you know, not this work,
but I needed it growing up. I needed the movies and
I needed these directors, and I needed these performances. And I grew up very lucky
and very privileged, but my heart and my imagination, you know, it wasn't simply an interest, it was an identity and I needed it. Therefore to even entertain a little bit that I could mean that, I don't, that I could mean that to
somebody that is very like, it borders on like being
emotionally a little overwhelmed. It's very moving and I should, yeah. - But congratulations, anyway. So we're gonna wrap up our time here, but what I want you to say,
'cause now we have a plan, is to look into the
camera and tell Mrs. Davis what your menu, your dream
menu for Christmas is. What do you, if you can build your, if Christmas day best meal. - I wanna play to people's strengths. Where is Mrs. Davis from? - [Clayton] She's Cuban and Puerto Rican. - I'll take that, Mrs.
Davis, I'll take some, I'll take some home cooked. Take me to the islands.
- Ooh. - Some you're okay with
alabo and arroz con gandules? (Pedro speaking Spanish)
- And there you go.
In a thread not too long ago people were gushing how great Pascal's acting was. That you can appreciate his acting by his body language. Even though half the time it wasn't even him under the helmet.
I don't mind Pedro doing only voice but it would be nice if the other guys playing him got some media attention.
500k per episode for voice over. Dude making it easy.
It's like a puppet show but with humans in suits moving around and then people doing voice over for them.
Like the TMNT movies or the old TV show Dinosaurs
yeah we noticed
It's a smart move. This way as he gets busier, VO only is easier to squeeze into his schedule vs being required to be on set.
Probably why there was such a huge shift to making Bo the main character in S3. She put her all into that season and basically carried it while Dinn was relegated to a supporting character
ugh... don't watch this if you didn't play the 2nd game and don't want a big spoiler for The Last of Us season 2.
Given the writing is so cartoonish, makes sense.