Fans know of Pedro Pascal’s acting chops from the range of works he has committed to in the past few years. From his breakout role in Game of Thrones to his upcoming Marvel debut in The Fantastic Four, Pascal has picked some fan-favorite roles and made a fanbase for himself. There’s a story of intense acting behind one of his viral memes on the internet.
You must’ve come across the ‘Pedro Pascal Laughing then Crying’ meme at least once during the last two years. The meme material was born out of a Zoom table read, where Pascal exchanged lines with Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti.
The Origin of Pedro Pascal’s Viral Internet Meme Is Impressive
Pedro Pascal has this lovable charm about him in every role that he takes on. While fans have seen him in dramatic and villain roles, he also shone in a comedic role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. With his acting skills, he was able to create one acting moment in a table read that went on to become a viral meme.
The virtual table read featured Pascal and Paul Giamatti reading lines for Kevin Artigue’s play I, My Ruination. Giamatti read for the role of Elia Kazan while Pascal took up the roles of Raphael Nixon and playwright Tennessee Williams.
During a particular moment in the table read, Pascal in Williams’ character went on to laugh hysterically only to break down crying, changing his expressions within a matter of seconds. Pascal’s over-the-top emotions immediately caught the attention of the internet and many fans edited out the moment to create viral memes.
When the moment from the table read was shared on YouTube, fans had all kinds of reactions to it. One fan shared that he was one of the greatest actors in the spotlight now. Another fan shared that both Giamatti and Pascal were great at the moment. The fan actually believed that Pascal broke down mid-scene and Giamatti was pulling him out of it.
Fans appreciated Giamatti in the scene, sharing that he felt the pain of Pascal’s character. One fan shared that it was one of the best 2 minutes of acting they had ever seen. Some of the fan reactions read:
Pedro pascal is one of the greatest actors in the spotlight rn, dude is talented AF
@darkknight3326
They’re both such great actors, when Paul asks him “hey hey, what’s going on?”, I genuinely thought Pedro was breaking down mid-scene and Paul was having to pull him out of it.
@_The_Traveler_
And then you realize that was the scene.
I like how Paul was just like, “hey hey hey, what’s going on?” He really felt his pain and was there for him.
@BAFFLED_
This is some of the best 2 minutes of acting I’ve ever seen in my life
@aaronaquila1872
Give this man Oscar
@Ultramaxmems
It was this kind of ability that landed him roles like Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us. After watching his 2 minutes of acting in the video, fans would be mad at The Mandalorian for hiding his face for most of the three seasons of the series.
Pedro Pascal Waited Tables While Auditioning For Roles
Pedro Pascal went through a lot of struggle to make a name for himself in the industry. In a cover story for Esquire in 2023, Pascal shared he waited tables at several New York restaurants after graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He added that he was fired from most of these jobs for simultaneously attending auditions. He shared with Esquire:
I was getting my a** f**king kicked. I guess this delusional self-determination, and no real skill at anything else, is what kept me going.
It was during this period that he befriended a group of aspiring actors from LaGuardia High, another acting school in New York. Sarah Paulson was part of this group and has been a great friend to Pascal ever since. She played a crucial role in helping Pascal audition for his breakthrough role in Game of Thrones.
She told Esquire that she would lend him her “per diem from a job [she] was working on” so that the actor could feed himself. Pascal landed small roles in television before he got his big break in the industry.
