How Pedro Pascal Landed Game of Thrones Role with a Shaky Vertical Video and Pure Talent
Pedro Pascal’s Messy iPhone Audition Won Him Oberyn Role Despite Low Quality and No Crew (Photo Credit – Wikipedia)

Pedro Pascal flipped the script on every audition rule out there. Before The Mandalorian helmet or The Last of Us acclaim, Pascal was an unknown name trying to break into Westeros with a video that looked more like a FaceTime call gone wrong. His shot at fame came with no fancy lights, and with no crew. All he got was just an old iPhone and a push from longtime pal Sarah Paulson. And yet, this messy, vertical submission landed him the role of Oberyn Martell and opened doors to global stardom.

Game of Thrones Casting Team Looked Past the Pixels to Cast Pedro Pascal for His Acting Chops

When HBO was on the hunt for someone to play Prince Oberyn Martell in season four of Game of Thrones, they weren’t just looking for a warm body with a sword. They needed irresistible charm, all wrapped in a single performer. And showrunner David Benioff knew exactly how high the bar was. “That was such a tricky role to cast,” he told Variety. “Oberyn entered the story mid-stream, but required the swagger of a character who had been sparring with the other players off-screen for years.”

At the time, Pedro Pascal wasn’t a household name. But he had one thing going for him — the belief of his friend Sarah Paulson, who reportedly helped get his audition in front of the right eyes. The tape he sent wasn’t polished. It wasn’t shot in landscape. It wasn’t even on a decent camera. “First of all, it was an iPhone selfie audition, which was unusual. And this wasn’t one of the new-fangled iPhones with the fancy cameras,” Benioff recalled. “It looked like sh*t; it was shot vertical; the whole thing was very amateurish. Except for the performance, which was intense and believable and just right.”

Despite the shaky visuals, Pascal nailed every beat. He carried all the emotional weight Oberyn needed. The role demanded someone seductive and menacing — the kind of man who could flirt and kill without changing his tone. And Pascal brought that, even through a blurry screen.

“Once we saw the entire season there was no doubt Pedro was going to be a star,” Benioff said. “I thought he deserved more recognition, frankly. Was he nominated for any awards? He should have been. But Dan and I were thrilled that we gave Pedro a job that helped his ascent, because he’s an absolute gem of an actor and a man.”

Oberyn’s exit from the show was as dramatic as his entrance, but by then, Pascal had already won over the fandom. That one bold, vertical video — low on pixels but heavy on presence — proved just how much raw talent can outweigh technical flaws.

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