WARNING: Spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 8 below.
The Last of Us unveiled its most disturbing episode on Sunday night as Joel (Pedro Pascal), and most especially Ellie, were forced to contend with a cannibalistic group of hungry churchgoers led by the deceivingly soft-spoken David (Scott Shepherd). While the episode was filled with brutal violence as it stared deep into the depths that humanity will sink to in an fungus-induced apocalypse, it also incorporated a prominent nod to the video game that made the show possible.
While David’s manipulative sermons are key to leading his flock, he won’t get far without men willing to do his dirty work. One of those men is his right-hand man James played by Troy Baker, who The Last of Us fans know all too well. Before Pedro Pascal stepped into the role of Joel, Baker was the first to bring him life by voicing him in both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II.
Naturally, Baker was thrilled to have a part in the live-action series, and he’s thoroughly enjoyed watching what Pascal has done with Joel.
“I had the opportunity to play it once and I left everything on the dance floor,” Baker told Entertainment Weekly. “The thing that I would’ve lamented is if whoever was tapped to play Joel didn’t teach me something new, that they just did the same thing that I did and it became an impression of a performance rather than a character. That’s the thing that I’ve been the most delighted about with Pedro. He brought something so new to this role. There’s always a moment in every episode where I’m like, ‘Oh f—! That’s good.’”
Baker also wants people to revisit The Last of Us game, which he feels is even stronger because of the show.
“Go back and play the game, think about those characters in different ways,” Baker said. “It all just adds a completely different layer.”
It’s been almost three years since we last checked in on Perry Mason (season 2 premieres tonight on HBO at 9pm EST) and nearly as long since Matthew Rhys‘ face was on our screens if you don’t count his oh-so-brief hello at the start ofCocaine Bear. What have they been up to? Well, for Mason, the milk truck has been replaced by a Harley and criminal law has been put aside in order to pursue a career in civil litigation. Why? We’ll get to that this season, but it’s important to note that Mason is still aching to fight the good fight and that Rhys is still protective of the character’s simple but laudable belief system when it comes to what’s right and what’s wrong. (Slightly less important to note that there are less amazing mustaches this season, but Rhys was rocking a pretty fantastic one of his own on our Zoom call, so at least there’s that.)
As for Rhys and his own belief system, well, we get into that after talking a bit about Perry Mason’s evolution – from his penchant for adventure to his side hustle running a vintage boat charter, and a work/life balance that seems to explain why his IMDB page is less chaotic than others with his experience and talent.
I moved up when I was going to see Cocaine Bear for this interview, specifically to see the cameo. That was a lot of fun. Very quick, unfortunately. I wanted a little more movement, a little more karate, a little more dancing, but it’s very, very entertaining.
I did do a whole day of it, but I don’t know if it even warrants a cameo. I think it was a blink, a blip.
So now we know, for the DVD extras. Is there a want to do more fun stuff like that for you?
Yeah, to me that is exactly what I would love to do. I grew up watching Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Charlie Chaplin. Physical slapstick to me is almost like the height, but it takes a certain skill set. I’m not saying I have that skill set, but I’m in awe of those who can do that well. I think I’d love to explore.
It’s so long between the first season and the second season of Perry Mason. Almost three years. Do you feel like you have to refind the character after that long away?
Leading up to season two, I was like, “Oh god, I’m going to creak into this one.” But I was very, very kindly invited to the adult table to exec produce on this. So all the conversations leading up to season two, we worked a lot with the writers. We’ve talked a lot about breaking the story and then who are we going to find for new heads of department? Our new costume designer, new production designer. So in those conversations, especially about where Mason was going to be, we weren’t kind of picking up (exactly where we left off). We needed to evolve a bit. So in those conversations, in the run-up to filming, I was like, “Oh, I know where I am now. I know where he is.” But also in the same respect, it is a new Mason. He is in a transitional period. So there is a degree of not quite knowing where he is and how it would land, which I enjoyed as an actor.
What was behind the want to change up certain things to evolve him in certain ways rather than just picking up from the end? Did the time difference (between the production of season 1 and 2) have something to do with it?
To a degree. There are a lot of questions as to what do we do? The great fear of the second season pickup, it’s like something you did in the first season warranted a season pickup, a good audience. So do you do the same thing again?
And how do you know what that thing was, also? Like, how do you figure it out?
Exactly. And look, no one has a fucking clue in Hollywood, otherwise, everyone would be billionaires. So it’s all such alchemy. But one thing they kind of thought was, we saw him at the end of season one, rolling up his sleeves, nice suit, name on the door, everything in the garden is rosy. And they said, “Let’s not pick up there. Let’s pick up a little bit later with Mason in a different place.” And I liked it immediately. I think what they came in with was a great idea that he’s suffering from this imposter syndrome. He’s realizing it’s possibly not what he wants to do. He’s realizing it’s not what he does well. He’s haunted by the results of what he thought was the right thing. So there is a lot of change in his life, which I like because then you’re never going to be compared. You can’t go, “Well, they tried to do the same thing, didn’t work.”
HBO
One thing with the notion of Los Angeles, especially in this season, is that it’s this new place building itself into something where anybody can be anything that they want to be, essentially. I think we saw that a little bit in season one. I think we see it in season two with the baseball team narrative and everything. Obviously, Mason is in the same boat, he wasn’t a lawyer at the start of this. He’s become this other thing. Is that part of his imposter syndrome: the pressure of this new city and feeling like you can be anything and is he being the right thing?
Yeah, it’s all of that. I’m glad you touched on that. It’s all of that. I think placing it in Los Angeles in 1933. Going back to the source books was a great idea because the city itself is this evolving boom town, this Klondike in the midst of a depression that was actually fun; one of the only places it was. So it’s evolving. We’ve seen that transition in season one where he goes, “I can either dig in and get covered in dust or I can try and evolve and stay with it.” So he has this great love-hate relationship with LA, which I loved. And I think he has this old-fashioned view of justice, where it’s just right and wrong, and it’s everything in between that messes him up.
So he thinks he’s doing the right thing and he is going, “But I did the right thing for that woman. I’m doing the right thing because I’m tired of the bullies and tired of things going wrong.” And then he finds it’s like, “Well, it’s not that simple.” And then all those questions start crashing. You know what I mean? Kind of dramaturgically, for him, it’s great.
Nearly three years have passed. The hierarchy of things, as far as work/life balance, has that shifted at all (for you)? Because your IMDB page isn’t as full as it was.
Believe me, I feel and find myself incredibly fortunate to be doing Mason, but it does take me away for six months at a time. And two seasons is a whole year. So that’s a fifth of my son’s life where I’ve missed bedtimes and everything else in between. So yes. After this season I said, “Look, I’m going to take a bunch of time off because I have been away for six months. I need to remind him who I am.”
You live a fascinating life. I’m sure that’s weird to have somebody say that to you. But I read about the boat. I’m curious, is there an operating philosophy? Was there a point at some point in your life where you’re like, “I’m going to prioritize things that maybe most people wouldn’t do.” I don’t know that a lot of people would say, “I’m going to sink $30,000 into a wooden boat and four years to renovate it,” and all this stuff.
I don’t know what it is. I don’t go, “Oh, I want adventure.” I mean, I do love it.
No, I’m sure you’re not like, “I’m Captain Adventure” No, I understand.
It’s when opportunity collides with possibility. With the boat, I just saw this thing, and I went, “Hang on a minute.” There are so many elements to this that make it right. The fact that I love Hemingway, it was built in Brooklyn. It’s a relative business opportunity. It’s something I’ve never done. The one thing I do is that age-old thing of saying, “Do something that scares you.” And I do that. When I went across Argentina, it was like I was terrified, but I was like, “But that opportunity is so unique, it will never again come in my lifetime.” So I suppose it’s those unique opportunities. I just want a few good stories at the end just to go, “Yeah, yeah, I did that.” So when those things come, which I’m genuinely interested in, I just think you’ve got to do it.
You have these opportunities and say why not. And I think a lot of people think, “Well, I can’t because of these reasons.” It’s pushing aside the fear and then those reasons why not, right?
Yes, it is. And listen, believe me, there are enough reasons in those moments for me to absolutely talk my way out of it. With the boat, I was like, “I really shouldn’t do this. This is madness.” And it was. But then you have those moments, in the end, you go, “Oh, I’m glad I did that.” I don’t know. I look back and I go, “Fucking hell, why did I do that? That’s mental.”
Do you have a wishlist of other things you want to do? Other adventures you’re looking for? Or is it just fate that they just find you?
I do put it in the hands of fate. I’m always like, “If something comes across my path and it’s too good to turn away, I’ll do it.” And yeah, that’s how I kind of how I’ve always been, I think. To be honest, I do find myself getting older and going, “You know what, I don’t need to do that. There’s no need.”
Risks of time, risks of soreness, things of that nature.
Yes, yes. Financial ruin, time away from the kids, all the same old shit.
There are so many celebrity travel shows, I’m sure you could take the boat out, sell a show on that. And now it’s a write-off.
Oh yeah, that’s good. I’ll just join people who are renovating old boats and just tell them how fucked they are. A lot of people told me that, they’re always coming to see the boat going, “Oh dude, you’re fucked.”
Ted Cruz always lets criticism roll right off him, and there’s something to be said for this, given that politicians will always receive snowballs in the face. These shots at Ted are quite often fair, especially when it comes to referencing his ill-advised, sun-soaked Cancun trip, which turned out to be a whirlwind voyage after people called him out for leaving his constituents (and his dog, Snowflake) to literally freeze when a deadly ice storm took down the crumbling Texas power grid. Ted has continued to not grasp the reality of how his trip looked, but people won’t let him forget that he’s still a weasel for it.
Fast forward a few years, and California Governor Gavin Newsom is being criticized on a similar note. As Page Six points out, people are not thrilled that he embarked upon “personal travel” while some Southern California residents are somehow digging out of a snowstorm in San Bernardino county.
As one can imagine, California isn’t equipped for this type of phenomenon, and one cannot imagine snow plows being available at all, and of course, Ted is all over this. He previously fired a shot at how Newsom wore fleece while enjoying air conditioning, and Ted is back for more against a Democrat. One actually wonders if Ted is roasting Newsom or if he simply wants to make a “cool” joke. You be the judge. While responding to coverage of Newsom’s debacle, Ted tweeted, “Cancun is nice this time of year.”
Palm tree emoji and everything. However, this is Ted Cruz, and people love to call him out, so that’s what happened. There is no shortage of people accusing him of making light of that fatal Texas storm while trying to be cute.
You are a hack and a disgrace. How dare you mock your own constituents when they needed you in their time of need.
Oooh. Like when your state lost power cause your state’s isolated grid can’t handle so much heat during the cold, you went to Cancun to not care about your constituents?
And made excuses as to why you went there after you returned?
Ariana Grande just pulled off the ultimate flex. She’s deep in her Wicked era, transforming into Glinda for Jon M. Chu’s forthcoming two-part film adaptation. Arianators are needlessly worrying that one of the biggest pop stars on the planet will suddenly stop being one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.
“Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set,” Grande wrote in a TikTok video showing her in the studio, posted on February 21 ahead of the song’s February 24 release. “This certain exception had to be made …..”
Per Billboard, “Die For You (Remix)” is the seventh No. 1 on the Hot 100 for Grande and The Weeknd, respectively, and it marks their second No. 1 together. “Save Your Tears” peaked at No. 1 in May 2021. It couldn’t come at a better time for The Weeknd, who needs some good news to balance out all of the reported drama and dysfunction around his HBO series, The Idol.
The top 10 of the Hot 100 chart dated March 11 is rounded out by Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” at No. 2, SZA’s “Kill Bill” at No. 3, PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2” at No. 4, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” at No. 5, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd, and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” at No. 6, Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” at No. 7, Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” at No. 8, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” at No. 9, and Beyoncé’s “Cuff It” at No. 10.
Donald Glover hasn’t been shy about dealing with Chevy Chase’s racism on the set of Community, and that was certainly the case during Sunday night’s Writers Guild of America Awards. While presenting the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence to Atlanta executive producer Paul Simms, Glover let rip once again.
“This award was named after Herb Sargent, a writer who worked on Saturday Night Live and came up with the ‘Weekend Update’ with Chevy Chase,’” Glover said. “Chevy Chase once called Herb one of the funniest writers working in television. And Chevy Chase once called me… you know, this is about Paul.”
But Glover was just getting started. He fired off another jab at Chase while joking about his Season 2 appearance in Girls, which Simms also produced. Via IndieWire:
“I was on the set of ‘Girls’ after filming a sex scene for like eight hours,” Glover said. “Which they cut down to two minutes, I’ve never seen the rest of that footage. Afterwards I asked Lena, ‘Yo, what made you decide to work with Paul?’” And she goes ‘honestly, this n— lets me do whatever I want.’ And I remember thinking two things. One, Lena is using the N-word extremely liberally. Who does she think she is, Chevy Chase? And two, that’s the kind of producer I want.”
Over the years, Glover has spoken openly about putting up with Chase on Community. Back in 2018, creator Dan Harmon revealed that Chase was the first to realize that Glover is “immensely gifted,” which then prompted the elderly actor to lash out from jealousy.
“I just saw Chevy as fighting time—a true artist has to be O.K. with his reign being over,” Glover told The New Yorker. “I can’t help him if he’s thrashing in the water. But I know there’s a human in there somewhere — he’s almost too human.”
Emmy nominee, Marvel star, and car-fixer-up Sydney Sweeney can add “fashion designer” to her resume. The White Lotus actress has partnered with Frankies Bikinis on the “sexiest ever” swimwear collection inspired by “an Italian summer romance” — and, in a way, Euphoria.
Sweeney wore a Frankies Bikinis piece in a season two episode of the HBO series. When asked by Elle if that’s how the collaboration came together, she replied, “It definitely sparked the conversation!” Sweeney met with Frankies Bikinis founder Francesca Aiello at her office in Venice “and instantly hit it off,” she said. “We were throwing around ideas and mood boards.”
Sweeney, who will next appear in season three of Euphoria and Americana alongside Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey, also explained why she was interested in swimwear. “I grew up on the water, always running around in a bikini,” she said. “If I wasn’t swimming in the lake or the ocean, I was skiing or attempting to surf. So there was always a part of me that wanted to create something that truly felt like me, and with Francesca and her incredible company, we created something really special.”
Wiz Khalifa is living the dream. He grew up listening to Snoop Dogg, then manifested a friendship with his hero that culminated in their 2011 collaboration “Young, Wild And Free” and the movie that it appeared on the soundtrack for, Mac & Devin Go To High School. Now, they’re going on tour together.
The High School Reunion Tour — get it? — will kick off in July, spanning 33 cities alongside Berner, Too Short, and Warren G, with special guest DJ Drama. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 10 and you can find more information on Ticketmaster.com.
7/7 –- Vancouver, B.C. @ Rogers Arena
7/8 -– Ridgefield, Wash. @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
7/9 –- Auburn, Wash. @ White River Amphitheatre
7/11 -– Salt Lake City @ USANA Amphitheatre
7/12 -– Denver @ Ball Arena
7/15 -– Rogers, Ark. @ Walmart AMP
7/16 -– St. Louis – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre @ St. Louis
7/18 -– Burgettstown, Pa. @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
7/20 -– Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Music Center
7/21 –- Tinley Park, Ill. @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago
7/23 -– Clarkston @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
7/26 –- Toronto @ Budweiser Stage
7/28 –- Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
7/29 -– Hartford, Conn. @ XFINITY Theatre
7/30 -– Camden, N.J. @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8/1 -– Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live
8/2 -– Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center
8/4 -– Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Barclays Center
8/5 -– Virginia Beach, Va. @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
8/6 -– Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
8/8 -– Charlotte @ PNC Music Pavilion
8/9 –- Atlanta @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
8/11 –- West Palm Beach, Fla. @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
8/12 -– Tampa @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/15 –- New Orleans @ Smoothie King Center
8/18 -– Austin @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
8/19 -– Houston @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/20 -– Dallas – Dos Equis Pavilion
8/22 –- Albuquerque, N.M. @ Isleta Amphitheater
8/23 -– Phoenix @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
8/25 -– Sacramento, Calif.@– Golden 1 Center
8/26 -– Concord, Calif. @ Concord Pavilion
8/27 –- Irvine, Calif. @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
Ridley was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who seemed willing to take a flyer on the young, talented receiver in hopes he would be reinstated this year. On Monday, they got their wish, as Ridley was officially reinstated to the league by the NFL, meaning he will join Trevor Lawrence and the reigning AFC South champs this fall.
In three-plus seasons in Atlanta, Ridley accumulated 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns, becoming a formidable weapon opposite Julio Jones. He will now slot into a Jaguars offense that took significant strides over the course of this season under the guidance of Doug Pederson, rounding out a receiving corps that includes Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. Ridley will bring Jacksonville a different dimension to the passing game, providing a speedy, downfield threat for Lawrence to stretch the field with, as he averaged 15.3 yards per reception in his standout 2020 campaign in Atlanta.
His role on “Game of Thrones” might have put Pedro Pascal on the map, but starring in Disney Plus’ “The Mandalorian” and HBO’s “The Last of Us” has transformed him into a household name. When people aren’t applauding his performances, they’re usually gushing about his looks.
So much so that the 47-year-old actor was coined “the internet’s daddy.” For the most part, Pascal has been a good sport, playing along when the nickname got mentioned during television segments, interviews and red carpet appearances.
However, a reporter from Access Hollywood approached him during a premiere for “The Mandalorian” Season 2, giving him a list of thirst tweets to read out loud. For those who are unaware, ”thirst tweets” are when fans express their sexual desire for a celebrity online. Having stars awkwardly read theirs in front of a camera has become a media trend.
Trendy or not, Pascal was not having it.
After being handed the list, Pascal read them silently. Then he politely declined, then (presumably to keep things light-hearted) said, “Dirty, dirty!” before thanking the reporter and walking off.
Pascal might have been unfazed by the situation, but the clip, which has since gone viral, has spurred a bigger conversation about how abusive this kind of behavior can be.
One issue here that people pointed out was the on-the-spotness of it all, which made things feel particularly jarring and exploitative.
As one person mentioned on Reddit, “At least the celebs filming the ones on YouTube have already agreed to the premise because asking someone to read thirst tweets unprompted is so crazy to me? Like imagine rocking up to a work event and someone asks if they can film you reading sexually explicit comments written about you by strangers, I’d be like ??? Have some decorum lol.”
Another pointed out how an event for a show that’s supposed to be kid-friendly made the situation even more inappropriate, even if he had played along in the past.
“He’s on this specific red carpet for a Disney + show which I think is the key difference here. I don’t think Disney would appreciate him reading ‘I want Pedro Pascal to spit in my mouth’ aloud at the Mandalorian premiere. In addition, who cares if he played into it before? If he doesn’t want to anymore that’s a boundary perfectly within his right to set,” they wrote.
Someone please explain to me why it’s okay for people on the internet and in the media to talk about Pedro Pascal in a manner which would be disgusting if he were a woman.
On Twitter, someone compared Pascal’s situation to the kind of fetishizing that actresses have historically dealt with. “I feel like Pedro Pascal is getting the actress treatment where he cant go to any interview without being sexualized its wild.”
Some commented that because Pascal is a man, society sees it as okay to give him more conspicuous sexual attention. “Someone please explain to me why it’s okay for people on the internet and in the media to talk about Pedro Pascal in a manner which would be disgusting if he were a woman,” one person wrote.
Mostly folks were just sharing agreement that this joke has run its course, and that it was a good thing Pascal shut it down.
“I’m so happy he’s putting his foot down. The amount of interviews and things I’ve seen where he has had to address the ‘daddy’ thing is so aggravating,” one person wrote.
“People think it’s such a compliment but it’s still sexualizing and dehumanizing,” another added.
“Every Pedro Pascal interview rn is just thinly veiled sexual harassment —whether it’s making him read grossly invasive tweets sexualizing him or incessantly calling him daddy. tired and weird antics!!!!!!” commented one person, implying that Access Hollywood is far from the only media outlet to overstep boundaries.
Every pedro pascal interview rn is just thinly veiled sexual harassment —whether it’s making him read grossly invasive tweets sexualizing him or incessantly calling him daddy. tired and weird antics!!!!!!
It’s no secret that many times fans cross the line when it comes to how they treat celebrities. Maybe it’s because, for many of us, they do represent a kind of fantasy—be it our vision of fame, fortune, beauty, talent, you name it. This clearly happens to both male and female celebrities, as Pascal’s story illuminates. But as cliche as it sounds, stars are people too, and they deserve a baseline level of respect.
And speaking more universally, being treated as a sexual object can make anyone feel uncomfortable, especially when being attractive suddenly becomes your sole identity marker. Hopefully, this story shines a light on knowing how far is too far when it comes to “paying a compliment.”
An incredibly scary scene unfolded on Monday in Florida during a spring training game between the Tigers and Red Sox, as Boston’s third baseman Justin Turner got hit in the face by a fastball that got away from Detroit pitcher Matt Manning. Turner immediately fell to the ground as the Tigers catcher called for the training staff, which ran out to attend to him and needed a number of towels to take care of the bleeding.
Turner was eventually able to get up and walk off of the field, with the assistance of the training staff and still holding towels to his face, which seems like good news all things considered.
Turner, who spent the last nine years of his career starring in L.A. for the Dodgers, joined the Red Sox on a 2-year deal this offseason as the 38-year-old looked to continue his excellent career in Boston. Now, though, it seems very likely he will miss time to start the season as he recovers from this facial injury, which we await official word on the severity of. Hopefully he will be able to make a full recovery and return to the field later this season, but the main concern is with his overall well-being at the moment after a terrifying injury.
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