Though Troy Baker isn't reprising his role as Joel Miller in HBO's The Last of Us, fans of the source material can rest assured knowing that renowned actor Pedro Pascal will be taking his place. Pedro Pascal's career kicked off thanks to his role in Game of Thrones, but he has since gone on to star in a variety of different movies and television series.
Pascal has played a variety of interesting characters throughout his career, and while his performance as Joel Miller is remarkable, fans of his work should make a note to check out his previous roles. However, not all of Pascal's performances will remind fans of his performance as Joel Miller in The Last of Us.
6 Wonder Woman 1984
Most of Pedro Pascal's roles in cinema depict him as a likable protagonist, but Wonder Woman 1984 presented him as a pretty believable villain. Though he may not be the most physically intimidating villain in the DC Universe, he still manages to evoke fear in his enemies due to the way he approaches achieving his goal.
Directed by Patty Jenkins, the story of Wonder Woman 1984 may not be as spectacular as the movie before, but Pascal's acting as Maxwell Lord manages to make up for the deficit. To fulfill his wishes, Maxwell seeks out the Dreamstone, a magical item that can grant the wishes of all those who touch it. To fully obtain the stone's power, he wishes to become it, which leads him to become one of the greatest villains Wonder Woman has faced to date.
5 The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, directed by Tom Gormican, revolves around actor Nicolas Cage and the lavish lifestyle he lives thanks to his successful career. He seems to have it all, but things take a turn when he decides to attend a fan's birthday party with the promise of receiving one million dollars in exchange. This fan is eventually revealed to be a man named Javi Gutierrez, an eccentric billionaire who is obsessed with Nicolas Cage's acting skills.
Nicolas Cage's performance as himself is truly something to behold, but Pedro Pascal's performance as Javi Gutierrez is arguably the movie's best aspect. He plays a wealthy billionaire and mega fan of Cage, but his story doesn't end there. Throughout the narrative, he becomes especially close with Cage, up to the point where the two become near inseparable.
4 Calls
Created by Fede Alvarez, Calls is a miniseries that documents the conversations between several strangers prior to an apocalyptic event. Each conversation takes place over a phone call and usually tells a pretty unique story. Each episode is engaging in its own way, but fans of Pedro Pascal's work will likely enjoy Episode 3 the most.
Though viewers won't see his face, Pascal's voice is possibly the most important part of the episode. The episode itself follows Patrick, Alexis, and their neighbor Pedro, as Patrick attempts to distinguish between facts and falsities. What starts off as an ordinary phone call quickly turns into something sinister when Pedro asks Patrick to do him a favor. The episode manages to cram a great deal of tension into its relatively short runtime, and much of what it achieves is only possible thanks to Pedro Pascal's chilling performance as Pedro.
3 The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian was the first live-action television series to be made for the Star Wars universe. Taking place five years after Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, the first episode tells the story of a lone Mandalorian named Din Djarin, who makes a living as a bounty hunter. Everything he believes changes, however, when he is tasked with delivering a small child to the Empire's clutches.
What makes Pedro Pascal's performance in The Mandalorian so captivating is how he manages to convey emotion without revealing his face. He seldom reveals what he looks like, but the moments where he does prove to be incredibly moving because of how rare they are. This series serves to highlight exactly how gifted of an actor Pascal can be, even when his face is hidden.
2 Narcos
The Narcos television series documents the rise of cocaine drug cartels and how much of a struggle it was for detectives to shut them down. Based on the true story, it centers around the life of Pablo Escobar while also offering some different perspectives on the events that unfold.
One such perspective comes from the character of Javier Pena, played by Pedro Pascal. In Season 3, Pena is tasked with bringing Pablo Escobar to justice for the crimes he has committed, which in turn grants Pascal a series of moments to shine before the climax of the story.
1 Game Of Thrones
Though some fans were unhappy with how the show ended, Game of Thrones was one of the most popular television series going for a very long time. One of the main reasons Game of Thrones remained so captivating was how none of its characters could ever truly be considered safe. If creators David Benioff and D. B. Weiss wish it, a fan favorite could be removed from the story at the drop of a hat.
Introduced in Season 4, Oberyn Martell, played by Pedro Pascal, quickly stole the hearts of viewers thanks to his refreshing personality. Fans of Pascal's acting will need to invest a lot of time into Game of Thrones if they wish to see what he adds to the story, but it's worth the time it takes. Oberyn Martell is one of the best characters in the entire series, even if he's only given a brief moment to shine.
The Last of Us is now available to stream on HBO Max.