Pedro Pascal loves his fans. Whether they know him for his journeys in space as the title character in The Mandalorian or as Joel Miller in The Last of Us, Pascal seems like the kind of celebrity who would stop in the street if you asked him for a photo or an autograph.
While that might be the case, Pascal has had to make a slight adjustment to at least one request fans make when taking a selfie. During an actors’ roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, Pascal said he had to stop allowing fans to put their thumbs in his eyes when posing for a photo.
If you remember, Pascal’s character in Game of Thrones, Prince Oberyn Martell, meets a horrific death in the show’s fourth season at the hands of Gregor Clegane, AKA The Mountain, during his trial by combat. During the fight, Gregor violently presses his thumbs into Martell’s eye sockets before crushing his skull and killing him.
During the roundtable, Pascal and actors Evan Peters, Michael Imperioli, Jeff Bridges, Kieran Culkin, and Damson Idris were discussing their interactions with fans who recognize them in public. “I remember, earlier on, because of Game of Thrones and the way my character died … people were super into taking selfies with their thumbs in my eyes,” Pascal said.
Culkin, who earlier said that he was uncomfortable when fans touched him without his consent, couldn’t believe Pascal let fans do that. “Wow, that’s a lot of trust,” he said.
Pedro Pascal continued his story and explained why he doesn’t let people put their thumbs in his eyes anymore. “At first, I was so earnest and happy about the success of the character in the show, I’d let them!” he said. “And then I remember getting a bit of an eye infection.” That would be enough to make anyone hesitant.
Basically, remember to wash your hands. Not even before you go sticking them in a celebrity’s eyes. Which you shouldn’t be doing in the first place. Just wash them in general.