Pedro Pascal is currently going through a career boom, with his roles in shows like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us making him one of Hollywood’s most in-demand names. This has led to many people diving into the actor’s rich back catalog, keen to see more of him in action. But, what many don’t realize is that before he became the household name he is today, Pascal appeared in an episode of NYPD Blue.
What episode of NYPD Blue did Pascal appear in?
For the uninitiated, NYPD Blue was a police procedural drama series that aired between 1993 and 2005. It was a massively praised show, winning over ten Prime Time Emmys and being a regular fixture at all TV award shows. This was because, unlike similar shows at the time, NYPD Blue was grittier and more realistic. Plus, the show spent a lot of time focusing on the characters’ problems in their personal lives and how it affected their work.
Pascal appeared in the ninth episode of the show’s eighth season, “Oh Golly Goth.” It should be noted that this episode aired in 2001, and at the time, Pascal was a very new actor, having made his TV debut only a few years before in 1999’s Good vs. Evil.
“Oh Golly Goth” sees the team having to deal with the aftermath of a stabbing. Three goths are implicated in the crime due to being at the same party, forcing the cops to learn about a subculture they know little to nothing about. Pedro Pascal plays Shane ‘Dio’ Morrissey, one of the goths. Pascal is involved in a highly memorable interrogation scene that shows that even in 2001, the actor had a fantastic range and a talent for bringing unusual personalities to life.
Why are people talking about Pascal’s NYPD Blue role?
This role is being talked about because Pascal mentioned it during his appearance on the hot-wing-based interview show Hot Ones.
When asked about some of his unique roles, Pascal mentioned his appearance on NYPD Blue. He said: “There was a really, really unusually fun character that I played on NYPD Blue, this goth guy named Dio. And he had all these fake piercings and was just a teenager hitting on the female cop.”
However, what has really caught the internet’s attention is Pascal saying that he made up his own language for the role. He said: “At one point, he has a pentagram on the inside of his palm that they made with a black sharpie, and I lick it, and I make up some Satanic language. I thought it was supposed to be like, Latin or something. And I remember thinking, ‘Do you have Latin words I’m supposed to learn?’ and they’re like ‘No dude, just make it up.’ And I was like, ‘oh, okay.’ It was a kind of thing where I licked the hand, and then I turned slowly toward the camera going,” explains Pascal. He then makes a series of disturbing sounds with his mouth, before quickly snapping back to normal.
He then finishes the earlier statement by adding: “some crazy shit like that on an episode of your ABC Network television hit, ‘NYPD Blue.’ I made up the language.”