Wonder Woman 1984 star Pedro Pascal looks back on his involvement in the failed Wonder Woman television pilot. Pascal portrays the villainous Max Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, a charismatic businessman with the potential to be dangerous. But the actor’s collaboration with Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins isn’t his foray into the DC universe.
Back in 2011, Pascal portrayed Ed Indelicato in a television pilot of Wonder Woman for NBC. Written by David E. Kelley and directed by Jeffrey Reiner, the pilot featured Adrianne Palicki as the titular hero. If the pilot had been picked up for a full series, Pascal might have been known as Diana’s liaison to the police department rather than the antagonistic figure of Max Lord. NBC decided to pass on developing the pilot any further, but Pascal believed it could have done well.
Speaking with Variety, Pascal reflected on the failed Wonder Woman pilot. Referring to the job as a dream come true, the actor notes that he went into the project with the hopes that it would improve his financial situation. At the time, Pascal's roles on television had largely consisted of guest appearances in procedural dramas such as NYPD Blue and The Good Wife. He said:
“It was like a dream come true. David E. Kelley’s influence on television when I was freshly out of college was so huge, and I watched every episode of “Friday Night Lights.” I also thought that whether it was good or not, it would definitely get picked up. So that would change my financial situation significantly, even if it was half a season before it got canceled. But it didn’t even get picked up. I went back to procedurals, you know, “CSI” and such. Had a pretty bad year after that interest in terms of like very sporadic work.”
Pascal was right to be optimistic. The talent involved with the Wonder Woman pilot was significant. Kelley had garnered a reputation for cultivating successful series, thanks to creating Ally McBeal and The Practice. The two shows were hits in the ratings and with critics, earning a slew of awards and nominations. Jeffrey Reiner, who directed the episode, was similarly accomplished as he’d helmed a number of Friday Night Lights episodes. Still, though there have been a number of well-known iterations of Wonder Woman, there have also been a number of aborted projects associated with the character. Kelley’s pilot would join the latter category, as reviews of the pilot found it to be dated and an overall poor reflection of the protagonist.
In the case of Wonder Woman 1984, however, audiences have been largely charmed by Gadot’s take on the iconic DC Comics creation. It might have taken years for Pascal to garner the type of star power that lends itself to choosing the right roles, but the actor is currently enjoying an impressive hot streak. In addition to his turn as Max Lord, which has been cited by some viewers as the most exciting aspect of the sequel, he leads the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian and gives a memorable performance in Robert Rodriquez’s We Can Be Heroes. It’s safe to say that Pascal’s days of popping up in procedurals is long behind him.
Source: Variety
