Pedro Pascal & Ethan Hawke Talk Playing Lovers in Strange Way of Life

One of the more anticipated releases premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival is Strange Way of Life, a short film from director Pedro Almodovar (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pain and Glory). Running at around a half hour long, the short stars Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) and Ethan Hawke (The Black Phone, Moon Knight) as a pair of former lovers who reunite under peculiar circumstances, rekindling the intimacy between them decades later. The film was shot in Spain at the same place where Sergio Leone filmed Once Upon a Time in the West, but Strange Way of Life is not your traditional spaghetti Western.

In the movie, Pascal plays a gunslinger named Silva whose son has been accused of murder. Meanwhile, Hawke plays Sheriff Jake, whose job it is to track down Silva’s son and bring him to justice. Long ago, Silva and Sheriff Jake had been lovers, dreaming of a future together that never came to be before the two went their separate ways. Now, that love comes back to the surface when they reunite as middle-aged men, though they’re also torn given the drama involving Silva’s son and how that stands between them.

In a talk with IndieWire, Pascal addressed his role in Strange Way of Life and working with Almodovar and Hawke. He explains how he didn’t approach the role specifically thinking about the “sexual chemistry” he may have with his co-star, instead focusing on carrying out the vision crafted by Almodovar and putting his trust into the screenplay. As Pascal puts it:

“I don’t imagine sexual chemistry as something to approach. It’s simply a matter of playing the character. Pedro put his trust in us to inhabit the story as he felt so much of the work was accomplished by casting. I think there’s a disarming and playful sexiness to everything Pedro does, so it’s exciting to step into that world. It also helped to have a scene partner as good as Ethan.”

Related: MTV Movie & TV Awards: The Last of Us Wins Best Show, Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey Named Best Duo

Strange Way of Life Premieres at Cannes

Hawke also opened up on playing an old lover of Pascal’s in the film. He pointed out how this isn’t the first time he’s been intimate with a man on film, as he first ventured into that territory more than three decades ago. With that said, the actor praises Almodovar for putting this story together, seeming to be happy with how it came out while observing how filming racy scenes can often be “very difficult” with other projects. Hawke said:

“I did a play in 1991 where Steve Zahn and I made out so, you know, I’ve always been game for a good time. 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. 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. He’s always trying to figure out the story he wants to tell.”

After its premiere at Cannes, Strange Way of Life will be released in the U.S. by Sony Pictures Classics this fall. You can watch the trailer below.