Despite The Mandalorian being a breakout hit and cultural phenomenon after debuting on Disney+ in 2019, actor Pedro Pascal found himself ineligible for a Golden Globes nomination thanks to his character being in a helmet for the vast majority of the first season. (Spoiler Alert: He briefly takes it off for one scene in the final episode.) However, according to Variety, the unusual nature of Pascal’s performance reportedly prompted a rules change that clarifies how eligibility for overly helmeted roles will be determined in the future.
Announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Wednesday, “voice-only performances are not eligible in any acting category.” That means even if characters are physically in the scene, actors whose faces are not visible are not eligible in any acting category. In “The Mandalorian,” which aired last fall, Pascal was in costume and hidden under a helmet throughout the show’s eight-episode first season. It’s not until the season finale that the character’s helmet is removed and Pascal is finally seen for the first time.
Since Pascal does make a very brief appearance in the final episode, the HFPA confirmed to Variety that, even with this latest clarification, the actor should have been eligible for a 2019 nomination. But here’s the thing: Pascal wasn’t hidden under a helmet throughout the entire season. In fact, he was rarely onset due to other commitments. While Lucasfilm has been initially secretive about this information, stuntman Brendan Wayne revealed to Vulture back in December that he handled the majority of the physical acting work for Mando, and Pascal himself admitted to Yahoo! Movies in April that he was brought in late in the production as the voice of the character.
The extent of Pascal’s actual work has been further revealed in Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, which has been airing on Disney+ and provides an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking show’s production. During a recent episode, Pascal credited Wayne and stuntman Lateef Crowder, who did the more acrobatic action scenes, for bringing Mando to life, while Pascal is shown doing voiceover work entirely separate from the set. At one point, he’s even seen holding a pillow to capture the feeling of cradling Baby Yoda. For the record, Pascal is shown filming the pivotal scene where Mando removes his helmet in the final episode, which seems to be his only time in costume.
Of course, none of this changes the fact that Baby Yoda was absolutely robbed by both the Golden Globes, Emmys, and let’s say the Grammys, too, just to be safe.
(Via Variety)