Pedro Pascal is arguably one of the most well-known actors in Hollywood currently, and he has been quite open about his evolving relationship with mental health. In a Men’s Health interview published on July 23, 2025, Pascal discussed how the isolation during the pandemic in the summer of 2020 led him to rediscover a way to manage anxiety: conversation.This is not the first time the actor has mentioned dealing with anxiety. Previously, Pedro Pascal was seen using a hand gesture at a red carpet. The viral moment during an April 2023 red carpet event shared by Deadline caught Pascal pressing his hand to his chest while speaking to his The Last of Us co-star Bella Ramsey. It led to Ramsey asking him why he did the gesture.“I do it, you know why? Because I put my anxiety right here,” Pedro Pascal said.This has since become a recurring feature of his public appearances, observed at the Oscars, Met Gala, Emmys, and Critics’ Choice Awards, according to Metro UK.Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey at the Los Angeles FYC Event for The Last of Us (Image via Getty)More about Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix’s interview with Men’s HealthSpeaking to the magazine alongside Eddington co-star Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal spoke on how the chaos and loneliness of lockdown pushed him to return to a personal habit from his school and college years: talking to people. He said he often found himself on long FaceTime calls and phone conversations, reconnecting with people in a way he hadn’t done in years.“When it started to feel so critical, I had to go back to what was always the comfort for me in life, which was engagement in my relationships, my friendships, and conversation and shared experience,” he said.Pedro Pascal said that speaking with others has helped him greatly as a coping strategy. During the peak of the pandemic, he noticed how meaningful human connection helped him process difficult emotions, shifting his attention away from doomscrolling and dissociation.Pascal also opened up about filming an uncomfortable scene with co-star Joaquin Phoenix for Eddington during the interview.Eddington is a dark comedy directed by Hereditary filmmaker Ari Aster, set in a fictional New Mexico town during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Mayor Ted Garcia and Joaquin Phoenix as Sheriff Joe Cross. One key scene between their characters involves a tense confrontation that ends with Pascal’s character slapping Phoenix’s. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDuring the interview, Pascal revealed that he was not entirely comfortable with filming the slap, even with professionals on set to help him.“I was not comfortable with slapping Joaquin. I even tried to take a stance and spoke with the stunt coordinator,” he shared.When the time came to film the moment, Pedro Pascal initially tried to fake the slap, but Phoenix pushed for authenticity.“Joaquin saying ‘You’ve got to do it.’ And me saying ‘I do?’ And he said ‘Yes.’ And we did it, and we went right into ‘Action,’ and I smacked the sh*t out of him,” he recalled.Joaquin Phoenix jokingly added that the Narcos star “loved” hitting him, but Pedro Pascal immediately denied any such allegations, saying that he “didn’t love it.”“It’s not nice to hit somebody—it doesn’t feel good. Many people would argue with that. I might love to break a chair or something like that, but I don’t want to hit somebody. So, that was really hard actually,” he said.Pedro Pascal attends the Fantastic Four premiere along with co-starsPedro Pascal appeared at the world premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 21, 2025, alongside co-stars Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The event was held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and marked the official debut of Marvel’s latest reboot of its “First Family.” Pascal will be seen in the lead role of Mr. Fantastic, aka Reed Richards.Joining the main cast on the blue carpet were several other stars from the film, including Sarah Niles, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Ralph Ineson, and Paul Walter Hauser.The premiere also saw appearances by actors beyond the cast, such as Simu Liu, Arian Moayed, Niousha Noor, Dafne Keen Fernández, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Former Fantastic Four actors Doug Jones, Ioan Gruffudd, and Rebecca Staab were also in attendance, along with the movie’s robot character, H.E.R.B.I.E.Many fans were seen lined up along the carpet dressed as the superheroes, while installations of the Fantasticar and a skywriting of “4” added to the event’s atmosphere.Directed by Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to release in theaters on July 25, 2025. The film serves as the official start of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).Stay tuned for more updates.