Before Pedro Pascal became a fungus-monster fighter in The Last of Us, he was an intergalactic bounty hunter in The Mandalorian. Disney+'s Star Wars spinoff follows Pascal's plight to travel across the galaxy while protecting the sweet and oh-so-innocent Grogu, otherwise known as The Child—or, of course, Baby Yoda.
Audiences instantly fell in love with Pascal's performance as Din Djarin, and he’s managed to maintain that fanbase over the years. Now, with Season Three underway, the actor is breaking down what it’s really like to play Mando. In Esquire's new cover story featuring Pascal, he revealed that the intricate Grogu puppet is “connected to what feels like the wires that control the Space Shuttle.” Pascal continued, “Its eyebrows and eyes and lips and jaw muscles and ears and everything move in the most realistic way; it feels like a very real scene partner.”
Whatever training Pascal did to work alongside Grogu clearly went well, because that tiny little guy is a scene-stealer. Despite all the stellar performances in The Mandalorian, Grogu has been beloved by fans since the show’s premiere in 2019. In Pascal's accompanying "Explain This" video, he joked about the levels that people would go to protect the puppet. When we asked if he had ever accidentally taken Grogu home with him, the actor insinuated that if he did, there would be grave consequences.
“If I even attempted that, a SWAT team [would show up]. I wouldn’t be sitting here today,” he said. “Pedro Pascal? Missing. Grogu? Not missing.” Check out the rest of the "Explain This" video, streaming above, to hear more about Pascal's experiences on set. And if you want to keep up with Grogu (we know you do!), keep up with Esquire's weekly recaps of The Mandalorian, which follow Mando and Grogu as they conquer the galaxy.
