SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from “Through the Valley”, the second episode of “The Last of Us” Season 2, now streaming on Max.
Pedro Pascal’s fate in this year’s Emmy Awards race remains uncertain as HBO/Max and his awards team deliberate over which category best suits his performance in Season 2 of “The Last of Us”: lead drama actor or supporting.
Pascal’s portrayal of Joel Miller in the post-apocalyptic drama is drawing critical acclaim once again this season — though his screen time took a dramatic shift on Sunday night. In the second episode, titled “Through the Valley,” Joel’s storyline reaches a shocking turning point. During a routine patrol in a snowstorm outside Jackson, Wyoming, Joel saves Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) from a horde of infected, only to be led into a trap. Abby, driven by revenge after Joel killed her father in the Season 1 finale, brutally beats him with a golf club after shooting him in the leg. And then, with the broken, sharp point of the same club, Abby stabs him in the neck as his surrogate daughter Ellie (Bella Ramsey) watches in anguish.
Although the episode mirrors the events of the video game on which the series is based, it leaves room for Pascal to reappear in later episodes this season through flashbacks. However, even if his screen time is limited, new Emmy rules disqualify Pascal from competing in the guest actor (drama) category. The Television Academy’s recent rule change bars performers from submitting as guests in roles for which they’ve already been nominated in lead or supporting categories. This rule is also affecting a few prior nominees in other categories who would normally compete as guest, such as Meryl Streep in Hulu comedy “Only Murders in the Building.” Under normal rules, if a performer appears in less than 50% of the episodes of the respective season, they could submit as guest.
Nonetheless, this will be a pivotal choice for Pascal’s team. Sources close to the actor and HBO/Max say no final submission choice has been made, though speculation is mounting and some are expecting the star to once again vie for a nomination in the lead actor (drama) category.
That potential decision would carry both prestige and pressure.
In 2023, Pascal made history as the second Latino ever nominated in the lead drama actor category, joining Jimmy Smits. He also became the most-nominated Latino in a single year, picking up nods for “The Last of Us” (lead drama actor), “Saturday Night Live” (guest comedy actor) and “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World” (narrator).
Should he return to the lead actor ballot, Pascal would face a very competitive field currently led by Adam Scott for Apple TV+’s “Severance” and Noah Wyle for “The Pitt,” another HBO/Max original.
In contrast, the supporting actor (drama) category is even more crowded, although potentially more open. Contenders include a stacked ensemble from “The White Lotus” featuring Walton Goggins, Sam Rockwell, Jason Isaacs, Sam Nivola and Patrick Schwarzenegger, as well as “Severance” co-stars John Turturro, Tramell Tillman, Christopher Walken and Zach Cherry. A potential vote-split could benefit an overdue veteran such as Pascal.
Pascal’s co-star Young Mazino is reportedly the only other eligible “The Last of Us” actor confirmed for the supporting race, although it remains unclear whether Gabriel Luna, who plays Joel’s brother Tommy, will be submitted in guest or supporting.
If Pascal submits in supporting and earns a nomination, he would become only the fifth Latino recognized in the category. Previous Latino honorees include winners Albert Paulsen for “Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre,” Edward James Olmos for “Miami Vice” and Smits for “L.A. Law,” along with the last nominee Freddy Rodriguez for “Six Feet Under.”
Meanwhile, precedent offers little clarity. In 2023, Brian Cox remained in the lead actor (drama) category for “Succession” despite his character’s death in Episode 3 of the final season. Coincidentally, the same year, Pascal secured his first lead drama nomination for Season 1 of “The Last of Us.” Cox and Pascal ultimately lost to “Succession” actor Kieran Culkin.
Now, in a moment that echoes Cox’s Emmy conundrum, Pascal faces his own crossroads. Whether he competes among leads or in the increasingly unpredictable supporting field, one thing is certain: Joel Miller’s legacy — and Pascal’s Emmy journey — will be one of the most talked about moments of this Emmy season.
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