At 48, Pedro Pascal is at the peak of his acting career with studios queuing up for a date from the actor. While Pascal currently has roles in fan-favorite projects with Disney and HBO, there was one special project that the Game of Thrones actor loved working on in 2023. Pascal played one of the leads in Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, Strange Way of Life. The encounter with the legendary director was like meeting a king for Pascal.
Almodóvar is one of the few Spanish language directors who has a cult following globally. Pascal’s short film was the director’s second English-language effort after the 2020 short film, The Human Voice.
Pedro Pascal Had A Life Changing Moment Working For Pedro Almodóvar
From his breakout role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones to his recent casting in the MCU film Fantastic Four, Pedro Pascal has had a great journey in Hollywood. His character Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us made him “Internet’s Zaddy.” The fame also got his profile featured in the 2024 Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair, where Pascal opened up about his love for cinema.
When asked about his experience working with an acclaimed director like Pedro Almodóvar on Strange Way of Life, Pascal revealed that it was like meeting a king and a family member. Pascal shared that he had been a fan of the director since the time he saw Almodóvar’s Oscar-nominated film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Pascal added that he had never missed an Almodóvar movie since then. The Mandalorian actor described his films as “effortlessly dangerous,” which fans of his films are already aware of. For Pascal, Almodóvar was easy to relate to but was also easy to worship. Pascal shared that he missed working with the acclaimed director. The Equalizer 2 actor shared with Vanity Fair:
“The first movie of Pedro’s I saw in the theater was Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I haven’t missed anything since. I think his movies are effortlessly dangerous—in color, in story, in performance, in their sense of humor and drama. Meeting him was two things. It was like meeting a king and a family member. He was easy to relate to and easy to worship. He could put you at ease and keep you on your toes. I miss and think of him every day.”
Strange Way of Life starred Ethan Hawke and Pascal as two gunslingers who reunite after a long time. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and was nominated for the Queer Palm category. Almodóvar explores the LGBT+ theme in a Western setting, where two gunslingers love each other.
Pedro Pascal’s Description of Pedro Almodóvar’s Films Is Accurate
When Pedro Pascal mentioned Pedro Almodóvar’s films as effortlessly dangerous in all aspects, many fans of the director’s cinema couldn’t agree more. In his earlier films, Almodóvar explored the themes of s*xual and political freedom. As time progressed, the director’s films centered around the themes of desire, LGBT+ issues, passion, family, and identity.
His 1999 film, All About My Mother, dealt with complex issues like AIDS, gender identity, faith, and existentialism. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. However, Almodóvar’s magnum opus is widely considered to be the 2002 film, Talk to Her. The psychological drama explores the unlikely friendship between two men as they care for two women who are both in comas. The film received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In recent times, his cult classic films include The Skin I Live In, Pain and Glory, and Parallel Mothers. Strange Way of Life is now available for purchase on AppleTV+.
