Pedro Pascal, an actor, describes how playing Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us gives him a way to express his own “darkness.”
Pedro Pascal, who plays cynical series protagonist Joel Miller in The Last of Us, said that playing the character allowed him to explore his own “darkness.”
When asked if he drew on any personal experiences while playing Joel, Pascal told WIRED that he thought The Last of Us gave him a way to express his worst ideas. “That’s the fun part — how much you get to externalize internal darkness in a safe way and bring in things that are from your nightmares,” Pascal said. He further elaborated, “[Such as] Joel’s capacity for violence and being good at it. I didn’t get into any physical fights growing up and definitely not as an adult. Violence scares me tremendously.”
While Pascal acknowledged he was a thrill-seeker, he also said he did not regularly push himself to the limit. “I’m actually a little bit opposed to it. I don’t like pain,” the actor explained. “Pain of every kind. I don’t like psychological, emotional or physical pain. Some people will be like, ‘Oh, I know that it’s very likely I’ll break something, I’ve got to try that.’ F—. That. I don’t think of myself as — I’m not a tough guy. I don’t live that way. I’m a lubricant. I want people to feel comfortable. I don’t know how to function at the expense of anyone’s comfort level. I’m a people pleaser.”
A Big Premiere for ‘The Last of Us’
The Last of Us, which is based on the adored computer game of the same name from studio creator Naughty Dog, follows an elderly smuggler named Joel who is recruited to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie across the wreckage of a post-apocalyptic United States. The Last of Us garnered a total of 4.7 million viewers across cable network and HBO Max since its Jan. 15 premiere, making it one of the network’s most popular debuts in recent memory.
Showrunner Craig Marzin thanked the audience for their role in making The Last of Us’ debut such a success in a personal statement released on social media in response to the good feedback from both viewers and critics. The showrunner expressed his happiness over the show’s favorable reviews and assured viewers that the series will only become better as it continued. He thanked the audience for their support and ended his letter by wishing that they would stick with the show throughout its entire run. Source: WIRED
