Pedro Pascal Gets Emotional Thanking His Family in ‘Saturday Night Live’ Opening Monologue

First-time Saturday Night Live host Pedro Pascal got emotional in his opening monologue as he took a moment to thank his parents for bringing him and his sister to the United States from Chile when they were kids.

Pascal began his monologue on Feb. 4 by saying that he spent the last year filming The Last of Us, which has already been renewed for a second season, and jokingly compared his experience during production to the experience on another popular show — The White Lotus.

“For some HBO shows, you get to shoot in a five-star Italian resort surrounded by beautiful people, but I said, ‘No, that’s too easy,’” he said. “I wanna shoot in a freezing Canadian forest while being chased around by a guy whose head looks like a genital wart.”

He went on to say that it’s been an honor to be a part of franchises like Game of Thrones and Star Wars but that he’s still getting used to being recognized on the street. He shared a story about a man who approached him and said his son was a big fan of The Mandalorian.

“The next thing I know I’m FaceTiming with a 6-year-old, who has no idea who I am because my character wears a mask for the entire show,” the actor explained. “So, the guy’s like, ‘Just do the Mando voice,’ but the Mando voice is like a bedroom voice. Without the mask, it just sounds porny. So, people walking by on the street just see me whispering to a 6-year-old kid, ‘I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.’”

The Last of Us actor continued by talking about his family, most of whom are still back in Chile. Pascal joked that they’re so proud of him, they go around giving his phone number to everyone, so he’s constantly being asked to go to someone’s wedding or to sing happy birthday to their priest.

He finished his opening monologue, sharing that nine months after he was born, his parents fled Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, a Chilean dictator who ruled over the country from 1973 to 1990.

“They were so brave, and without them, I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful country,” Pascal said, starting to choke up. “And I certainly wouldn’t be standing here with you all tonight. So, to all my family watching in Chile, I just want to say, te amo, te extraño and deja de dar mi informacíon personal, which means, I love you, I miss you, and stop giving out my phone number.”