Pedro Pascal on Strange Way of Life’s ‘playful sexiness’
“I don’t imagine sexual chemistry as something to approach,” Pascal said
Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal have shared details of Strange Way of Life’s intimate scenes.
Strange Way Of Life premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday (17 May).
The short film was written and directed by famous Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.
Strange Way Of Life follows two cowboys as they reunite after 25 years apart.
Sheriff Jake (Hawke) and Silva (Pascal) are at each other’s throats. However, there’s an underlying tension to their heated exchanges as they come to reminisce on the past.
Speaking to IndieWire, Pascal shared that he made time in his busy The Mandalorian and The Last of Us filming schedule to star in the film.
Almodóvar revealed in Strange Way Of Life, Pascal “really shows a range of registers he can hit that people haven’t given him yet.”
Pascal, himself, noted the intimacy between him and co-star Hawke wasn’t something he was concerned about.
“I don’t imagine sexual chemistry as something to approach,” Pascal explained.
“It’s simply a matter of playing the character,” he also added. “Pedro put his trust in us to inhabit the story as he felt so much of the work was accomplished by casting.”
“The film is full of these moments that are erotic”
“I think there’s a disarming and playful sexiness to everything Pedro [Almodóvar] does, so it’s exciting to step into that world. It also helped to have a scene partner as good as Ethan.”
Hawke added: “I’ve done love scenes with so many wonderful actresses and they’re always so hard.”
“Human intimacy is a very difficult thing to photograph,” the actor added. “It starts to be about bodies and then it can be a little soulless. I know Pedro put a lot of thought into what he was trying to communicate to the audience.”
Almodóvar’s work has often orbited topics of sexuality; from the 1980s Pepi, Luci, Bom to 2019’s Pain and Glory.
“The film is full of these moments that are erotic without being explicit sexually or having to do with any kind of physical nakedness,” he said.
Almodóvar also shared: “There’s a certain intensity, these pauses, that is very erotic and carnal for me.”
A wide release is yet to be announced but you can be sure we’ll keep you in the loop.