The new season of Narcos is out on Netflix. That means that it’s once again time for an actor whose character was very popular during his time on Game of Thrones (but is now very dead) to find themselves in the awkward position of using the popularity of a past project to promote one that, while good, isn’t yet a world-wide phenomenon. In this case, it’s Pedro Pascal, whose portrayal of Oberyn Martell may have the largest popularity-to-actual-minutes-on-screen ratio of any character. (With the possible exception of Bella Ramsay’s Lyanna Stark.)
Oberyn Martell was a flame the burned bright when he swept in to King’s Landing in Season 4. By the time he found himself with a flattened head at the end of Episode 8, his popularity had sky-rocketed. He won every off-season poll he was in that year. Fans couldn’t get enough of him. (His popularity is likely party to blame for why we went to Dorne in Season 5, but nevermind.)
It also made Pascal a household name. It was a very lucky casting for him. But as it turns out, luck didn’t have much to do with it. Last night, on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Pascal told the story of how he landed the role of Oberyn Martell. It turns out he pulled some strings.
Pascal on Oberyn Martell: “He was in his late 30s. He had eight daughters. He’s a slut. He’s dangerous. This is perfect for me!”
So it ends up that Pascal landed the role in part because of his friendship with Sarah Paulson, who’s friends with Amanda Peet, who’s married to David Benioff. Connections are important. Also, that phone call he had with Paulson sounds like a conversation Jon Snow has had with himself at some point. “I know things. And I can’t say anything, and I don’t know anything, but I know things.”