Pedro Pascal, the co-lead of HBO’s The Last of Us series, has been open about his approach to playing Joel Miller, who was killed off in the second episode of the show’s second season. Pascal has joked that he hasn’t thought much about it, even as he embarks on a press tour for the new season.
“I’m in active denial,” Pascal admits. “I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over.” Pascal knows that his character’s death would have an impact on the show’s storyline and characters, but he hasn’t thought about it much due to the emotional toll it takes.
Pascal remembers shooting his death scene in Kamloops, Canada, where he felt a sense of normalcy despite the dramatic nature of the scene. He recalls having a “good conversation” with prosthetics guru Barrie Gower and makeup designer Paul Spateri before filming. The effects did much of the work, allowing Pascal to focus on his performance rather than his character’s physical state.
The scene itself proved fulfilling for Pascal, who describes it as if everything else faded away until it was just him and co-star Kaitlyn Dever. Even though there were many individuals involved in the sequence, Pascal found it surreal to be on the receiving end of such grief from those around him.
Showrunner Craig Mazin praises Pascal’s performance, calling it “magical” and noting that he found a beautiful moment in the scene where Joel tries to move towards Ellie before passing away. This moment, according to Pascal, captures the emotional weight of the scene, with Joel hearing Ellie’s voice one last time as he takes his final breath.
While the death of Joel Miller is permanent, Pascal confirms that there are scenes teased in the season 2 trailers that feature him, hinting that characters can be remembered and revisited in interesting ways.
Source: https://ew.com/pedro-pascal-the-last-of-us-joel-abby-twist-active-denial-exclusive-11718560