Pedro Pascal Talks About His Final Moments as Joel in ‘The Last of Us’ & How He Killed The Vibe On Set

Pedro Pascal has said goodbye to Joel Miller. In the second episode of The Last of Us season 2, Joel dies, and the moment left a strong impact on everyone, including Pascal himself.

On set, things felt heavy during the filming of Joel’s death. Pascal says it was a strange experience stepping into the scene after makeup.

“I’ve never experienced anything like I did that day,” Pascal says. “I stepped onto set in full makeup and then killed the vibe completely as soon as anyone set their eyes on me. This kind of shock and heartbreak… it was weird to be on the receiving end of that.”

Pascal, wearing fake blood and bruises from the scene, noticed that everyone around him became quiet. “It’s like the extreme version of, ‘Is there something on my face?’” he says. “I really could see this sort of grief take over everyone’s look in their eyes.”

The episode, titled Through the Valley, shows Joel being killed by Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. It’s a major moment from the video game The Last of Us Part II, and one the cast and crew had been preparing for.

Dever’s first scene as Abby was also the scene where she kills Joel. It was emotional and tough. “It was just a massive scene emotionally, and with blocking, too,” Dever says. “There were so many moving parts.”

But for Pascal, being the one in the center of that scene brought a strange kind of attention. Not the good kind, either.

“When I came out in full makeup, it was like I walked into a funeral,” Pascal says. “Nobody could look at me the same. The vibe totally changed.”

The scene took two days to film in Kamloops, Canada. Pascal had trouble even getting to the set because of bad weather. “It was freezing cold,” he remembers.

Despite the serious tone of the episode, Pascal couldn’t help but be his usual playful self off camera. “I get killed a lot,” he jokes, listing other roles where his character didn’t survive. “I like to die.”

Still, filming Joel’s final moments wasn’t just another job. Everyone on set knew how important the scene was — not just for the show, but for the fans.

Director Mark Mylod made sure it was handled carefully. The crew even avoided showing too much of the violence, focusing instead on the characters’ reactions. “It matters more than any kind of grotesque detail,” says co-showrunner Craig Mazin.

As for Pascal, he took his last day as Joel seriously — even if he also accidentally made it super awkward.

“When you see someone walk in looking like they’ve been beaten to a pulp, it’s hard to just smile and say hi,” he says, laughing. “I guess I ruined the vibe.”

Joel’s story may be over, but Pedro Pascal’s presence on set will be remembered — not just for the character he played, but for the strange silence he brought with him, makeup and all.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!