Pedro Pascal on Game of Thrones: Preparing for Oberyn, a memorable moment, and snacks on set

Oberyn Martell may never grace our screens again, but he lives on in our hearts and minds – and in Game of Thrones questions posed to Pedro Pascal in interviews.

Pedro recently spoke with The New Potato in New York, where he just finished a run as Don John in Shakespeare in the Park’s Much Ado About Nothing. (He also posed for some new pictures for the interview. Bonus.) Pedro reveals his pre and post shoot routines, which involve barking, and how he prepared for the role of Oberyn. He also recalls his favorite moment on the Game of Thrones set, and what the cast members tend to snack on.

What are some pre and post shoot routines?

Pre-shoot, I’m just muttering, “Don’t f*ck it up,” under my breath. Post-shoot, relief or despair over having or having not f*cked 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.

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.

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

I’m feeling much better, thank you.

To find out what Pedro’s ideal food day is, as well as his perfect first date, and words to live by, check out the full interview (and a clever first comment) at The New Potato.

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• Published on 07/08/2014 at 8:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:41 PM CDT