It’s safe to say thatPedro Pascalhas found his niche in Hollywood as an “unlikely father figure.” BothThe MandalorianandThe Last of Ussee him playing a hardened warrior who ends up taking care of, then bonding with, a young charge. Pascal got the chance to play against type inThe Bubble,Judd Apatow’s mega-sized comedy movie for Netflix.The Bubbleexplores what happens when the crew of a major blockbuster,Cliff Beasts 6, ends up reacting with the pandemic forces to shelter in place in a luxurious hotel when COVID-19 first hits. Hilarity ensues, but clearly not enough, becauseThe Bubbleis one ofApatow’s worst reviewed films.
It’s pretty clear that Apatow intended forThe Bubbleto satirize the filming process that went intoJurassic World: Dominion, and the blockbuster filmmaking machine in general. But while large parts ofThe Bubblefall short,Pascal’s performance isn’t one of them. His performance as the mercurial, yet brilliant Dieter Bravo let him play against type while delivering some truly outlandish scenes; it also proved that Pascal had some serious comedic chops that he should embrace in future roles.
In playing Dieter,Pascal gets to poke fun at the approach to method acting;he has a blast in depicting Dieter as a haughty man who’s clearly been roped into a big budget film to draw audiences to theaters and makes no bones of the fact that he thinks he’s above this. Butthe funniest parts ofThe Bubblerevolve around Dieter’s vices,and how COVID slammed a lid on them. It’s especially apparently when he tries to proposition the rest of theCliff Beastscast and crew, and even some of the staff at the hotel where they’re staying during production. This eventually leads him to taking a combination of drugs, and a detox treatment that involves a defibrillator andtwodifferent shots of adrenaline.Pascal always gives all of his energyduring his scenes, whether it’s a rant about the Kit-Kats in the hotel minibar or shouting in horror while using the bathroom. It shouldn’t be as funny as it is, buthe has a commitment to the comedic side of his role that the rest of the cast seems to be lacking.
Pedro Pascal Wasn’t Allowed To Play ‘The Last of Us’ Video Game
Is there a worse form of punishment?
Pascal’s wildest scene happens toward the middle ofThe Bubble, whenDieter drops a couple of tabs of acid and begins to hallucinatethat his digital workout assistant Kate wants to have sex with him. What makes it truly wild is that Kate is played byDaisy Ridley, meaning that Star Wars fans who watched this scene were confused, disturbed, or both. Less creepy are Pascal’s scenes withMaria Bakalova, who plays hotel clerk Anika. Dieter learns that Anika actually wants to get to know him rather than have a one-night stand, and thus their flirtations lend a sweeter side toThe Bubble(leading to a scene in the credits that is absolutely hilarious.)
After ‘The Bubble,’ Pedro Pascal Shined in More Comedic Roles
The Bubblewasn’t the only 2022 film that let Pascal show off his comedic chops. InThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he portrays billionaire Javi—who happens to be a megaNicholas Cagefan. Cage, playing a version of himself, soon bonds with Javiand starts writing a movie with him that turns out to be a meta-commentaryonMassive Talent’s plot. It works far better thanThe Bubblebecause the meta-commentary is actually well-layered within the film, not to mention Cage and Pascal have that rare chemistry that most comedies dream of. Whether they’re driving through Spain while high or bonding overPaddington 2, the duo is a delight whenever they share the screen. Pascal would also get a chance to do more comedywhen he hostedSaturday Night Live; his boundless energy made sketches involving a post-apocalyptic take onSuper Mario Bros, an outlandish wings restaurant, and a substitute teacher confused by Gen Z slang sing. While Pascal’s future roles include the rom-comMaterialistsand playing Reed Richards inThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,he should definitely consider adding more comedy to his repertoire because he’s phenomenal at it.
The Bubble
