Pedro Pascal for The New Potato

July 2014
Written and photographed by Danielle Kosann

We can’t deny that all of us (male and female alike) were basically in tears when Game of Thrones’ Oberyn (aka Pedro Pascal) was killed during his fight as champion for Tyrion Lannister. To our delight though, upon recently seeing Much Ado About Nothing at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, we learned that Pascal’s head is still very much intact — and looking better than ever for that matter. (For those confused, Pascal’s demise on GOT involved a kind of head-squeezed-until-exploding situation.)

It’s hard not to have an instant crush on Pedro Pascal, something you’ve definitely gauged from these photos, and that you’re about to gauge from his interview below. Tonight is the last night Pascal can be seen on the Delacorte’s stage as the perpetually plotting villain Don John, so you may want to stop over and wait in line for tickets.

We personally met up with Pascal at The Smith Lincoln Center — a favorite restaurant of ours around the park — to chat on all things Game of Thrones, Shakespeare, and his idea of the perfect first date (ladies, get out your Moleskines)…

From start to finish, what would be your ideal food day?

I’d start with very strong, very tasty espresso, runny eggs and buttery toast, someone to share blueberry pancakes with, and then more coffee. A burger and a shake (or a beer — or both) for lunch, and at some point, gin and oysters. And someone with me to remind me to eat some greens.

What are some pre and post shoot routines?

Pre-shoot, I’m just muttering, “Don’t fck it up,” under my breath. Post-shoot, relief or despair over having or having not fcked it up. And barking. I usually bark.

Most memorable moment on set…

For me, it was sitting between Charles Dance and Lena Headey during Tyrion’s trial and watching them, Sibel Kekilli, Peter Dinklage, the extras, design and creative team and entire crew work their magic. All I had to do was sit there and take it in from one of the best views in the house.

Do people snack on that set? What do they have?

In Belfast there is a lot of tea going around. In Croatia, there were cheese and ham sandwiches that I couldn’t stop eating.

How did you prepare for your role as Oberyn?

The preparation for the role really came from talking with the show’s creators, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, and one of the show’s directors, Alex Graves. They invited me into dialogues about the character very early; what motivates him, what makes him human. They were very trusting and generous, so there was a lot of room to explore, and to let the imagination run free.

The writing was so good, so that really did most of the work. The stunt team put me in some Wushu training with a master of the form for a couple of weeks before I started, and very intense fight rehearsals throughout.

How did you prepare for your role as Don John in Much Ado About Nothing?

The major difference for me in doing a play, as opposed to TV or film, is the rehearsal process. Six days a week for four to five weeks (usually) you’re rehearsing, and it’s during that process that I find the character — a character that becomes even more clear to me in performing before a live audience over and over again.

What’s it like going from playing a hero to a villain?

They’re both equally fun. The best part is discovering the qualities of a bad guy that don’t make him much different than a hero — that make him just like any of us.

What did you always have with you on set during your Much Ado About Nothing rehearsals?

My script! And coffee.

What would be your last meal? Who would it be with?

Something bad for me, with my family.

Have you ever done a workout or diet specifically for a role? What was it?

Up until now, I’ve really only relied on the physical demands of whatever role I’m playing at the time. Like one character is a boxer, another can helicopter a spear through the air, and this one [Don John] sits on his ass and bitches all day.

I’ve yet to face something that would mean experiencing a specific physical transformation and have always been curious if I’d be up for the challenge. I hope so.

Your idea of the perfect first date…

A date that doesn’t feel like a date. And hopefully by the end, or throughout, very good kissing.

Words to act by…

One word. Relax.

If you could host a dinner party with any five people living or dead, who would be there? What would be your quote-of-the-evening to all?

Carrie Fisher, James Baldwin, Henry Miller, Salvador Allende and Karen O.

I wouldn’t have a quote for all. With this company, I would just shut up and listen.

And, most importantly… do you still have a headache?

I’m feeling much better, thank you.

Behind the Photoshoot: When Dani Kosann Met Pedro

The photographer behind the New Potato feature, Danielle Kosann, later shared the story of what happened when she met Pedro for the shoot.

The experience was included in the Kosann Sisters’ book, Great Tastes: Cooking (and Eating) from Morning to Midnight — and somehow the behind-the-scenes story is almost as memorable as the interview itself.

Being just the two of us working on the site, sometimes we had to delegate, and shooting a super-hot guy we both had a crush on was no exception. Laura was having serious FOMO about missing this one. Danielle was to photograph Pedro in Central Park, as he was in Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare in the Park that summer.
It was a very hot day (all puns intended) and a restaurant — The Smith — was the backup plan, since there was a chance of rain. Laura reluctantly stayed behind to do computer work but instructed Danielle to call her the minute she was done.
As fate would have it, the rain started coming down as both Danielle and Pedro made their way to the meeting spot in the park.
I know I just got married, Danielle thought, but could this be any more like The Notebook?
She kept the notion to herself rather than text it to Laura. Danielle approached Pedro like a schoolgirl, giggling and apologizing about the rain and suggesting the alternative:
Danielle: “I’ll do whatever you like, if you want to, you know, we can just, do that.”
Pedro: “That sounds great.”
While Laura — the writer — would have been ashamed of Danielle’s inability to complete a sentence, Danielle smiled to herself: Looks like I’ve still got it.
They headed to The Smith as the rain poured down. It wasn’t a short walk.
“So how was it?” Laura’s text read thirty-five minutes later.
“Still together,” Danielle quickly wrote back.
Laura responded, “What does that mean?”
No answer.
As the two walked side by side in the rain, Danielle couldn’t help but notice the looks they were getting. They got stopped twice by fans and — as she had ditched her usual casual photography outfit for a far cuter summer dress — she was pretty sure they were getting mistaken for Dedro.
What’s Dedro, you ask? Danielle + Pedro…the celebrity name Danielle had thought up around the time they passed 78th Street. Duh.
Dedro has such a ring to it, Danielle mused.
She then thought about what her and her husband Seth’s celebrity name combo would be: Deth. Yikes.
But she brushed the thought aside as they reached the restaurant.
Pedro: “Mind if I take my shirt off?”
They had just arrived at the private room at The Smith.
Danielle: “Um…sorry?”
Pedro: “It’s just it’s soaking wet. Do you mind?”
He started pulling it off. Danielle attempted nonchalance with every fiber of her being.
Danielle: “Sure.”
“Did you finish yet?” Laura’s newest text read.
“He just took his shirt off,” Danielle wrote back.
And yes, that’s all Danielle wrote back.
Danielle could hear Laura’s head exploding somewhere, Danielle’s head was exploding, and of course this is all ironic because Oberyn died in Game of Thrones from — well — his head exploding. This all seemed fated.
Pedro: “So where do you want me?”
Sorry, guys, we promise this story doesn’t turn into a porno.
Pedro: “Actually, can we wait for my shirt to dry? That’s the one I’d wanted to wear for this, not this one.”
He had changed into a T-shirt he had in his bag.
Danielle: “Of course!”
Pedro: “I’m going to grab a beer, do you want anything?”
If there was ever a time to drink on the job, it was now.
Danielle: “Sure, a Chardonnay would be great.”
Pedro went to get the drinks, Danielle took deep breaths, and Laura sat in her apartment convinced there was some sort of Fifty Shades of Grey + Game of Thrones situation happening at The Smith right now.
“He took his shirt off to dry, we’re having a drink while we wait,” Danielle texted back to Laura’s sea of exclamation points, question marks, and emojis.
As Danielle and Pedro sat and chatted, she tried not to keel over, as, like any good actor, he didn’t break eye contact.
Pedro: “So, you’re married?”
He pointed to her engagement ring.
Danielle was slightly tempted to come out with something like, “Oh, what, this old thing?”
Instead she told the truth, his shirt eventually dried, and the shoot was a success.
Whether it is with Brad Pitt or Betty White, Laura now insists on making her own decisions when it comes to missing photo shoots.