Pedro Pascal, the actor behind the mask of lead character Din Djarin in The Mandalorian Disney+ series, is highlighted in the cover story Variety published online earlier today. Naturally the piece talks about Pascal’s involvement in the live-action Star Wars series as well as portraying villain Maxwell Lord in director Patty Jenkins’ upcoming sequel Wonder Woman 1984.
The Mandalorian executive producer Jon Favreau is quoted in Variety’s article below about the decision to cast Pascal as the series’ lead:
Before Pascal knew anything about “The Mandalorian,” its showrunner and executive producer Jon Favreau knew he wanted Pascal to star in it.
“He feels very much like a classic movie star in his charm and his delivery,” says Favreau. “And he’s somebody who takes his craft very seriously.” Favreau felt Pascal had the presence and skill essential to deliver a character — named Din Djarin, but mostly called Mando — who spends virtually every second of his time on screen wearing a helmet, part of the sacrosanct creed of the Mandalorian order.
Convincing any actor to hide their face for the run of a series can be as precarious as escaping a Sarlacc pit. To win Pascal over in their initial meeting, Favreau brought him behind the “Mandalorian” curtain, into a conference room papered with storyboards covering the arc of the first season. “When he walked in, it must have felt a little surreal,” Favreau says. “You know, most of your experiences as an actor, people are kicking the tires to see if it’s a good fit. But in this case, everything was locked and loaded.”
Needless to say, it worked. “I hope this doesn’t sound like me fashioning myself like I’m, you know, so smart, but I agreed to do this [show] because the impression I had when I had my first meeting was that this is the next big s—,” Pascal says with a laugh.
Point your browser here for the full Variety article.
