Hot New Stars of 2021

Pedro Pascal Says 'Game Of Thrones' Fans Once Gave Him An Eye Infection

Home / Stars / Pedro Pascal Says 'Game Of Thrones' Fans Once Gave Him An Eye Infection

By Favour Adegoke on May 30, 2023 at 10:48 PM EDT

Pedro Pascal is famous for many roles, including his character in HBO's "Game of Thrones," Prince Oberyn Martell. Pascal has now revealed that he got an eye infection from allowing GOT fans to recreate his iconic death scene for photos. 

Oberyn's death happened in season four of the show during a battle with Gregor, aka The Mountain. After his 'GOT' character became popular, Pascal was famously cast as Javier Peña in Netflix's "Narcos."  The actor has also played iconic characters like 'The Mandalorian' and Joel Miller in "The Last of Us." 

Read on to find out more. 

Article continues below advertisement

Pedro Pascal Got An Eye Infection From 'GOT' Fans

Pedro Pascal at The Last of Us Los Angeles Premiere
MEGA

Pedro Pascal reflected on his film career during a newly released episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actors Roundtable. The actor shared that after his GOT character, Oberyn Martell, died, it triggered a wave of fans wanting to recreate the scene of his eyes getting gouged out. 

He said, "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 explained that he was so happy about his character's fame and the show's success that he would allow fans actually press their fingers into his eyes. 

Article continues below advertisement

However, allowing so many hands on his face eventually led to an "eye infection," according to Pascal. His character, Oberyn, was a member of the ruling family of Dorne and fathered eight daughters, who later became known as the Sand Snakes. 

Article continues below advertisement

The Iconic 'Game of Thrones' Death Scene Of Prince Oberyn

Oberyn's infamous violent death happened in season four, in an episode titled "The Mountain And The Viper." In the episode, Oberyn battled with Gregor Clegane, aka The Mountain, and drove him to his knees with multiple stab wounds. With Gregor seemingly moments away from sure death, Oberyn draws out his final attack by trying to get Gregor to admit that he killed Elia Martell, his sister.

However, in a shocking few seconds, Gregor gained control of the fight and punched Oberyn so hard that he knocked his teeth out. He then gouged out Oberyn's eyes with his thumbs while confessing that he raped Elia, killed her kids, and then killed Elia herself. After that, Gregor crushed Oberyn's head, killing him immediately. 

Article continues below advertisement

Pedro Pascal Has Played Several Iconic Characters

Hot New Stars of 2021
MEGA

After Pascal became famous for his performance as Oberyn, the actor was cast as Javier Peña in Netflix's "Narcos." However, his role as the Mandalorian in the 2019 Disney+ series of the same name truly pushed Pascal into the limelight. 

Then, in January this year, the 48-year-old actor featured as Joel Miller in HBO's "The Last of Us," which took his career to another level. He became a social media sensation, especially on Twitter and TikTok, and is a fan favorite currently. 

Article continues below advertisement

"The Last of Us" is a dystopian series following Miller, a smuggler traveling with a teenager across post-apocalyptic America to safety. It is based on the post-apocalyptic game of the same name. Pascal has also featured in films like "The Book Of Boba Fett" and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" with Nicolas Cage. 

Pedro Pascal Reflects On His Journey To Success

During the roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, Pascal reflected on the many years it took him to hit fame as an actor. He also heavily praised fellow film star Jeff Bridges, whom he said is one of his "favorite actors." 

Pascal and Bridges last worked together on 2017s "Kingsman: The Golden Circle," and the "Narcos" star said watching Bridges on the film's set was "an incredible school." He said, "Having been sort of chasing jobs for so many years of my life and jobbing no matter what it was, whether it was a beer commercial or a play at Second Stage or whatever, there's a lot of heartbreak."

Article continues below advertisement

Pascal shared that he really admired Bridges' work ethic, despite his age and extensive experience as an actor. He said, "I was like: 'Never forget to care this much about whatever you're doing,'" and then joked that Bridges is "working harder than me!"

Article continues below advertisement