Mandalorian law preaches that members of the clan must never remove their helmet. The creed lands Mando, the main character of the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” in some hot water, but it provides the man-in-the-suit Pedro Pascal with some flexibility.
In two and a half seasons, Mando has only shown his face three times — so, how often is Pascal actually in the suit?
According to Bryce Dallas Howard, who guest-starred on “The Mandalorian,” it is not always Pascal in the suit.
“He was in rehearsals for ‘King Lear’ on Broadway. And so, while we were doing my episode, I wasn’t working with Pedro,” she told Vulture.
Pascal has stunt doubles and stand-ins who fill the suit when he isn’t around. According to Vulture, the credits list two men — Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder — under the role “Double - The Mandalorian.”
Wayne, grandson of Hollywood icon John Wayne, told Vulture that he worked on every episode of “The Mandalorian” Season 1 and Season 2. Wayne claimed he saw Pascal on set “frequently” and they worked together to develop the character’s movements.
“(Pascal) would ask me, and I would ask him the same question, which is, ‘Why did you move like this during that moment?’ We would go back and forth,” Wayne told Vulture. “The great thing about him is he’s not impressed with himself. He’s just an actor. And I mean that in the good way, not the bad way. He likes to learn and he likes to collaborate and he’s very good at it.”
Pascal echoed Wayne’s comments when he told Entertainment Weekly that Mando’s character has been “a collaborative process” from the start.
“I was given the opportunity to establish physical specificity in some ways at the start of the show, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t observing and picking up from what they’re doing and handing over so much of it as well. They do the heavy lifting,” Pascal told Entertainment Weekly.
‘It’s like going blind’: Pedro Pascal on wearing the suit
Although Pascal is not always in the suit, he is familiar with it — and apparently being in the suit doesn’t feel as cool as it looks.
“It’s like putting on a head-to-toe glove with weights on it,” Pascal told Empire. “It’s ironic that you can’t see any facial expression because it puts you in the world so completely, and instantly makes the character feel real.”
Over the course of three seasons, the Mando suit has been given some internal upgrades, but according to Pascal, it’s still difficult to wear.
“They’ve continued to finesse and make it more comfortable, but it’s like going blind,” Pascal explained to Empire. “Your breath completely fogs up the narrow slit that you can see through. There’s no peripheral vision. If there’s a hole, I’m gonna fall into it.”
As impractical as the armor is, it has a way of getting Pascal in character.
“When it’s on, you immediately feel powerful, protected, dangerous, and like a protector,” he said.