Pedro Pascal Learned Cello for ‘Behemoth!’ — and Called It the Hardest Creative Work He’s Done

In his new film Behemoth, Pedro Pascal plays the cello, and he describes the role as the most difficult creative challenge he has taken on for any part.

A film penned and helmed by Tony Gilroy made its first public showing at the New York Film Festival on Friday, October 2, ahead of a limited U.S. rollout on December 4. In it, Pascal stars as Alex Serian, a celebrated cellist who returns home to Los Angeles to look after his mother, who is failing. To support her, he accepts work as a studio musician for Hollywood film scores, a position far below his standing. The picture weaves together the shape of his life through scenes that jump backward in time.

The Premiere Press Conference

Friday morning brought together Gilroy and Pascal alongside cast members Eva Victor and Will Arnett for a press conference led by Justin Chang, the critic from The New Yorker. This came after the film’s world premiere press and industry screening. Pascal was asked whether learning the cello shared anything with his other work, and he answered with laughter, saying “It overlapped with learning my lines for the movie! Or remember that there was an actual character to play, with a story, other than just the cello.”.

“The cello was the main character of my life for several weeks leading up to shooting,” Pascal explained. “I took it with me everywhere—Tony’s advice.”

The Difficulty of the Instrument

When asked what surprised him about the learning process, Pascal answered bluntly: “Everything surprised me. It was hell. And heaven. It was incredible to be in lessons again, with another artist, for one. Then, the physical challenge of it, the meticulousness around it, and having to fast-track things—like, you’re supposed to spend a year learning how to hold the bow correctly. I had a week. And then we had to get into the bowing, and the vibrato.”

“It was hell. And heaven.”

The Come-to-Jesus Meeting

Gilroy recalled the moment he asked Pascal if he could handle the challenge. “We didn’t have much time, so it was a real come-to-Jesus meeting,” he said with a laugh. “It was like a three-hour pre-nup in a bar. Like, look we don’t have much time. This is what we need. This is what you need. If you can’t do it, then the only wrong answer is ‘yes,’ if you don’t really mean it.”

Pascal stepped forward, and his words were these: “He was like, ‘Are you going to be able to it?’ I was like, ‘I don’t know!'”.

“Right answer!” Gilroy said with a laugh.

From ‘I Don’t Know’ to Vienna

Pascal said his “I don’t know” attitude stayed with him throughout filming. “That took us all the way to Vienna, when I had to cram in Mozart for the last scene,” he said. “It was a joy, but it was the hardest thing that I’ve done, creatively, for a part.”

What Happens Next

Behemoth! will be in limited theaters starting Friday, December 4, 2026.

The Order of Events

1. Pascal learned cello for several weeks before shooting began.
2. He took the instrument with him everywhere, per Gilroy’s advice.
3. He spent a week learning how to hold the bow correctly.
4. He got into bowing and vibrato technique.
5. He had to cram Mozart for the final scene in Vienna.
6. The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 2.
7. It opens in select U.S. theaters on December 4, 2026.

The film’s limited release means audiences will see it in select theaters, not nationwide. Pascal’s commitment to the role is now on record. Whether it pays off on screen is a question viewers will have to answer themselves when Behemoth! arrives in December.

Source material: “Pedro Pascal Says It Was “Hell” Learning Cello for ‘Behemoth!’: “Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Done Creatively For a Part”,” Decider.

actor prep · Behemoth · cello · movie premiere · NYFF · Pedro Pascal