“Game of Thrones” fans used to relate to star Pedro Pascal in a very special way. So peculiar, in fact, that Pascal contracted an eye infection.
During The Hollywood Reporter’s Dramatic Actors Roundtable, published May 24, Pascal shared his experience speaking to fellow actors Kieran Culkin, Jeff Bridges, Michael Imperioli, Evan Peters and Damson Idris.
“I remember, earlier, because of ‘Game of Thrones’ and how my character died…people were great at taking selfies with their thumbs in their eyes,” he said. His character, Oberyn Martell, was killed after having his eyes gouged out and his skull crushed in a fight.
“Wow, that’s a lot of confidence,” Culkin replied.
“At first, I was so serious and happy about the character’s success on the show, I’d let them! In New York!” Pascal added. “And then I remember having a little eye infection.”
Fellow actors joked that the prior eye infection must be the reason for Pascal’s glasses, which he usually wears on the red carpet and beyond.
In the same chat, the 48-year-old actor gave him his internet nickname: “Dad,” slang for someone people are completely in love with.
“Yeah, I’m having fun with it,” Pascal said, adding that he thinks the title comes from the fatherly characters he’s portrayed in recent TV hits.
In HBO’s video game adaptation “The Last of Us,” Pascal’s character protects a teenager on a journey through a zombie-riddled America. In Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” his character travels the galaxy to keep Grogu safe.
“(The dad thing) seems a bit related to the role, I think. There was a period when the Mandalorian is very daddy to baby Grogu. Joel is very dad to Ellie (in ‘The last of Us’). These are daddy’s pieces. It is what it is,” he said.
Bridges then jokingly asked, “Are you daddy?”
“I’m not a dad,” Pascal replied across the table, adding, “And I’m not going to be a dad!”
Culkin was quick to point out that not all actors who are dads or acting dads get the “dad” designation.
” I’m a dad. nobody likes My dad parts,” the “Succession” star and father of two joked to Pascal.
“What did you just say?” Pascal asked laughing. “‘Nobody likes my daddy parts’?”
“They like your dad pieces,” Culkin said, causing the table to erupt in laughter.
This article originally appeared on TODAY.com