What a year it’s been for Pedro Pascal. Revelling in the role of Din Djarin on The Mandalorian, about to star in We Can be Heroes for Netflix and co-star in Wonder Woman 1984 as the sly Maxwell Lord, he talks with Entertainment Weekly as one of their Entertainers of the Year 2020 about The Mandalorian and the challenges of performing the role.
Playing the Mandalorian has been one of the hardest and most unique experiences of Pascal’s career to date. At this point, it’s no secret that he wasn’t physically under the helmet as much as he would’ve liked in season 1 and recorded his dialogue in post-production to match what his doubles, stunt actors Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder, did on set in the armor. Giving a largely vocal performance was a challenge for a physical actor like Pascal, who is almost unrecognizable when you compare his turns on The Good Wife and Game of Thrones, for example, because of how he carries himself. Yet, being on set way more in The Mandalorian season 2 didn’t make his job any easier because he still had to figure how to make Mando compelling while also being as economical as possible in his physical movements and vocal performance.
“I’m not even sure if I would be able to do it if it weren’t for the amount of direct experience that I’ve had with being on stage to understand how to posture yourself, how to physically frame yourself into something and to tell a story with a gesture, with a stance, or with very, very specific vocal intonation,” says Pascal, who believes his collaborative relationship with creator Jon Favreau and executive producer Dave Filoni, a.k.a. his “Mandalorian papas,” also helped him inhabit the role in season 2.
Speaking of collaboration: Working with comedian Amy Sedaris, who plays gruff Tatooine mechanic Peli Motto, was one of the highlights of The Mandalorian’s sophomore season. “I followed Amy Sedaris around like a puppy. [I was] like, ‘Hey again. I’m not leaving your side until you wrap,’ and she’s like, ‘Cool,’” Pascal says. “I love the Child — it really is adorable — and it is so fascinating to see it work, but somebody who makes you spit-laugh right into your helmet will always be my favorite thing.”
