Pedro Pascal compares Joel in The Last of Us and Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, touching on the similarities between the characters' journeys. Pascal garnered attention playing the stoic bounty-hunting Mandalorian Din Djain in The Mandalorian, and he's taking on a similar role in The Last of Us. Joel, like Din, is tasked with the care of a young child, which he reluctantly agrees to and gradually bonds with. Pascal's experience perfectly sets him up to take on this beloved role while bringing something uniquely his own, as he did with The Mandalorian.
Screen Rant attended a press event with a number of other media outlets where Pascal touched on the similarities between Joel and Din Djarin. Pascal also breaks down how working on The Last Of Us and The Mandalorian simultaneously benefited both performances, calling the experience "an amazing double dip." Pascal also explains the different elements that went into crafting his performance as Joel.
Joel and Din Djarin in The Mandalorian are obviously decidedly different characters. But they're both survivalists and both can kick butt. I'm wondering if there are any actor sensibilities and experiences that you learned on The Mandalorian and incorporated while working on The Last of Us.
Pedro Pascal: Not only that, but they were happening simultaneously as well. It's an amazing double dip for me. And I think that there are really, really strong comparisons in terms of their journeys and their relationships. With Joel, I think it was a really fascinating opportunity to discover elements from the source material, from Craig's and Neil's pages, from our locations, our sets and our effects; being with Bella all the time.
That really kind of put all of the pieces together for me and I continued to discover them. And only in retrospect when you're asking this question, do I realize that maybe as far as Mando and Joel are concerned, one was that they were in relationship and informing one another.
How Similar Are Pedro Pascal's Characters In The Mandalorian And The Last Of Us?
Both Din Djarin and Joel are deeply wounded characters who have experienced great loss and slowly begin to open up once they connect with a child they have been tasked with protecting. While the worlds they live in are incredibly different, their journeys are surprisingly similar. Pascal playing both characters simultaneously likely gave him the chance to lean into these characters' similarities while recognizing what was distinct about Joel in The Last of Us vs. Din Djarin.
While Din Djarin and Joel are incredibly similar, they flex different acting muscles for Pascal. The Last of Us allows Pascal to show off his full range of acting abilities in a way that The Mandalorian likely doesn't because Din Djarin has largely been a voice-over role. Din and Grogu are together in The Mandalorian's third season after being reunited in The Book of Boba Fett, when Grogu chose to stay with the man who had taken care of him instead of training to be a Jedi. While the first two seasons focused on finding Grogu's people and where he belongs, the third delves deeper into Din's origins.
Perhaps one of the most intriguing differences is that The Last of Us can explore Ellie's perspective in a way that The Mandalorian has been unable to because she is able to speak and has a certain level of autonomy that Grogu doesn't. This means that Ellie's choices, how she communicates, and the actions she takes will impact Joel and his growth. Pascal perfectly taps into the reluctant turned over protective father figure. In both The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, he captures a stoicism and harshness that hide deep pain. The Mandalorian shows just how capable Pascal is, but The Last of Us takes it a step further as he shows his acting chops beyond his voice.
The Last Of Us premieres on HBO and HBO Max on January 15.