Pedro Pascal shares his initial and honest reaction to being cast as the titular character in The Mandalorian. Pascal made his debut as Din Djarin in November 2019 with the premiere of the Star Wars series which has now become a global phenomenon. The bounty-hunter-turned-father has since returned for 2 seasons — and a half, with a notable appearance in the latter 3 episodes of The Book of Boba Fett — and has a season 3 on the way, which is set to premiere in February 2023.
Pascal, also known for his roles in Narcos, Game of Thrones, and most recently The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, has since brought an incredible performance and captivating presence to the character of Din. One of his most notable acting moments amongst Mandalorian audiences is when Din was forced to remove his helmet in front of others for the first time since he was a child in "Chapter 15: The Believer." Pascal was able to pull off a performance that convinced viewers he truly hadn't shown his face to someone using only limited dialogue and subtle mannerisms, such as eye contact and calculated breaths. His overall embodiment of Din with the use of both his body and his voice have provided the character with a swagger and humbleness that has made him more and more interesting and beloved to viewers.
Now, Pascal shares the story of how he reacted to learning he would play the masked gunslinger. Though it's a story he's told many times before, the actor goes in-depth with Vanity Fair on exactly what occurred the moment he was told he was going to be the Mandalorian. After a day full of wall-to-wall concept art, driving to Manhattan Beach studios, and even trying on the Mandalorian helmet, Pascal still wasn't convinced Din's role was his to claim. He shares that he outright asked executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni who they wanted him to play, and after being told he would in fact be the Mandalorian, Pascal was only able to offer a "Holy shit. Really?" See Pascal's retelling of the story below:
I think that they thought that I knew—but I didn't know—so I asked them finally: ‘What do you guys want me to do? What do you guys want me to play?’ And they seemed confused. They said, ‘You're the Mandalorian.’
And I was like, ‘Holy shit. … Really?’
Once again, I think that when I'm offered such a beautiful chance to make a contribution to such a bigger picture, I don't ask a lot of questions, you know? I said, yes.
Pascal has a reputation of being just as humble as Din himself, which makes such a reaction no true surprise. He acted as any Star Wars fan would to learning that they would be starring in the beloved franchise, especially in a role as major as this. He and Din have both already contributed greatly to the incredible legacy of Star Wars, though this isn't something Pascal takes sole credit for. He's known to praise acting/stunt doubles Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder for the work they do to help him portray Din while he also pursues other projects, something that helps him as a "commitment-phobe." Nevertheless, Pascal has taken his disbelief from this moment and worked hard to make Din a compelling character whose story audiences care about.
This is what has helped to make any news about the upcoming The Mandalorian season 3 even more exciting for viewers. The series recently previewed a teaser trailer at Star Wars Celebration, with footage that confirms a journey to Mandalore as well as the return of Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze. The season is teased to be just as expansive and mind-blowing as Pascal must've felt the first time he walked into the Mandalorian concept art room as the series continues to increase its reach throughout the Star Wars galaxy. Audiences will get a chance to share in Pascal's enthusiastic reaction when The Mandalorian season 3 premieres in February 2023.
Source: Vanity Fair