Pedro Pascal to preview 'The Last of Us' season 2 at SXSW

As the countdown to Austin’s iconic South by Southwest (SXSW) conference winds down, anticipation for the event is at an all time high with its most recent announcement of keynote and featured speakers. Top of the list, San Antonio’s favorite heartthrob, Pedro Pascal. 

On Tuesday, February 11, the conference announced the former Alamo City resident will speak alongside cast members and creators of HBO’s The Last of Us. Pascal will be joined by co-stars Bella Ramsey, Austin-native Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Denver, Isabel Merced and Young Mazino. 

The panel takes place on March 8 and will offer a glimpse into the show’s second season, set to debut this April. Based on one of the best-selling PlayStation games of the 2010s, the series is set in a post-apocalyptic world plagued by a zombie-like disease. In the quest for survival, a father-turned-smuggler named Joel, played by Pascal, is tasked with accompanying teenager Ellie to safety. 

Soon after The Last of Us premiered in January 2023, critics crowned the nine-episode series as one of "the best live-action video game adaptations ever made." Global praise aside, the show secured eight Emmy Awards last year, behind only The Bear’s 10.

Pascal is no stranger to attending Austin’s iconic SXSW conference, which honors the convergence of technology, film, television, and music. He also isn’t shy about boasting his San Antonio roots, often reflecting positively on his childhood memories in the city.

When he attended the conference in 2023, Pascal even set the record straight in the never-ending debate between which Texas city delivers the most tasty breakfast tacos.

"It's San Antonio, people. It’s San Antonio," Pascal told the Austin-American Statesman. "If we’re talking about tacos? Chile con queso, maybe you can get that in Austin. But you get a taco in San Antonio, por favor! As far as I remember, yeah. Sorry, I love Austin."

Whatever you say, Pascal.

Pedro Pascal’s ties to San Antonio

Although originally from Santiago, Chile, Pascal’s family immigrated to the Alamo City when he was a baby while fleeing their home country as political refugees. As a child, he spent his afternoons watching movies, in the arcade and practicing as a competitive swimmer at Northside ISD’s Colonies North Elementary School.

"The earliest memories I have of living in San Antonio would be early-morning swim practice," Pascal told MySA contributor Kiko Martinez. "There was a neighborhood swimming pool, and I was the star swimmer. Blue ribbons only, baby!"

In a full circle moment, he also spent his adolescence sneaking into San Antonio theaters to catch an R-rated film, while his mother studied for her Ph.D.

From tiptoeing into a showing of the 1982 horror classic Poltergeist — or attempting (and failing) to gain entry into the 1983 horror/drama Cujo — Pascal seems to share a lot in common with San Antonians, especially those who had too much time on their hands in their youth.

Pascal remained in San Antonio until age 11, when his family moved to Los Angeles. There, he went on to attend the Orange County School of the Arts, and likely never had to sneak into the big screen again. 

Rather, he was the one starring on them. From Disney’s The Mandalorian to Netflix’s Narcos to HBO’s Game of Thrones, the actor continues to see success in his creative projects. 

Following the panel with The Last of Us cast and creators, Fantastic Fungi’s Louie Schwartzberg will present a panel on the healing power of psychedelics, and how his films use time lapse and VFX cinematography to "create journeys through time."

When is SXSW 2025?

SXSW 2025 will take place March 7-15. To view the full schedule, visit the SXSW website. Tickets to the conference, along with volunteer opportunities, can also be purchased on the event’s website. Tickets range from $895 to $2, 295.