Pascal's Western Dreams: Actor Begged for Sisters Brothers Role
The Mandalorian star confessed he desperately campaigned for a part in the 2018 western, even writing personal letters to filmmakers. His missed opportunity reveals an interesting chapter in his meteoric rise.
Pedro Pascal's journey from struggling actor to Hollywood's busiest star happened fast. The Chilean performer went from virtual unknown to everywhere at once. His recent slate proves it: Marvel hero, Roman warrior, charming bachelor, wise-cracking animated fox. The guy's making up for lost time.
The Western That Got Away
During a recent interview promoting his political drama with Joaquin Phoenix, Pascal dropped a confession. He desperately wanted into 2018's "The Sisters Brothers." Not just wanted. Campaigned for it.
"Do you know how badly I wanted to be in The Sisters Brothers? I wrote letters and stuff. I read the book!" Pascal told Phoenix directly during their chat.
The western paired Phoenix with John C. Reilly as hitman brothers Charlie and Eli Sisters. Jacques Audiard directed their dangerous hunt for gold miners played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed. Pascal never specified which role caught his eye, but he would've nailed any of them.
Critical Success, Box Office Flop
The source material came from Patrick deWitt's 2011 novel. Despite stellar casting, "The Sisters Brothers" bombed commercially. Just $14 mn against a $38 mn budget. Critics loved it though.
The film dominated that year's César Awards. Audiard won Best Director there and at Venice Film Festival. Had Pascal landed the gig, he would've worked alongside Rutger Hauer. The Dutch legend died in 2019, making this his final released film.
Finding His Western
Pascal didn't wait long for cowboy redemption. Pedro Almodóvar cast him in 2023's "Strange Way of Life" opposite Ethan Hawke. Like "The Sisters Brothers," it featured two gunslingers. Unlike it, these cowboys shared romance instead of family bonds.
This western talk emerged from Pascal's latest project set in New Mexico's desert. When asked if he considered it a western, Pascal seemed uncertain. "This one seems like a political satire western, but only partly because we're in a dusty, small town, that's what makes it a western?"