What is an ambien? Pedro Pascal reveals how he forgot landing lead role as Joel in The Last of Us 

Pedro Pascal recently revealed that he forgot about bagging the lead role in the popular HBO post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us under the effect of Ambien.

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Pascal shared that during the casting process, he was in London while the show's remaining production crew was in Los Angeles.

Following a positive discussion with The Last of Us show creator Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckman, Pedro Pascal took ambien to fall asleep late at night while dealing with an adrenaline rush and high hopes:

“At that point, it’s really late, and I’ve got to get up in the morning. I take an Ambien to go to sleep, just in case—because they’ve got my adrenaline going and my hopes up.”

Shortly after falling asleep, Pascal received a call confirming that he landed the lead role in The Last of Us. However, the actor could not remember the moment due to the effects of the sleeping pill:

“I get a call that I got the job after I took the Ambien, and so I was excited I guess, but I didn't remember. I woke up in the morning and the first thing that occurred to me was like, ‘Oh man, I really want that job.’”

Pedro Pascal added that he was also worried about the time difference between London and L.A. and thought he would have to wait the entire day for a response from producers.

However, Pascal soon noticed congratulatory messages on his phone and realized that he had already earned the role:

“I'm in London, they're in L.A., I'm gonna wait by the phone all day long, this hasn't happened in a while, I'm gonna be longing and I'm gonna think about it all day long. And then it was like, ‘Congratulations, I'm so happy for you!’ when I looked at my phone. And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I got the job!’”

HBO’s The Last of Us is inspired by a video game of the same name and is currently being considered one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful shows from the network.

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Everything to know about Ambien

Ambien is the brand name for a form of sedative medicine known as Zolpidem that is used to treat short-term sleeping problems like insomnia.

According to the Drugs Website, the medicine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people who suffer from insomnia. The immediate-release tablet helps a person fall asleep right after they hit the bed.

Meanwhile, the extended-release form known as Ambien CR is divided into two layers. The first layer dissolves quickly to help a person fall asleep, and the second layer dissolves slowly to help them remain asleep.

Medical professionals prescribe Zolpidem in recommended doses that differ for men and women. The medicine is not approved for use in children.

The drug can impair thoughts or reactions, and an individual can still feel sleepy in the morning after taking the medicine. Patients are reportedly advised to wait at least four hours, or until they are fully awake, before doing anything that requires them to be fully awake and alert.

Reports suggest that people should immediately stop the consumption of Ambien and get emergency medical help if they experience signs of allergic reactions like hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Ambien is usually consumed by mouth and is available in the forms of conventional tablets, sublingual tablets, or oral spray.

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Pedro Pascal on playing the role of Joel in The Last Of Us

Pedro Pascal is receiving critical acclaim for his role in 'The Last of Us' (Image via Getty Images)

HBO’s The Last Of Us highlights the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they work together to survive a cordyceps brain infection, an apocalyptic fungal outbreak that has taken most of humanity and turned people into zombies.

Speaking about portraying the lead role in the show, Pedro Pascal told Entertainment Tonight that people’s love for The Last Of Us game made his experience challenging:

“It became very, very clear very quickly how much people loved the game and the experience of playing the game. That was scary because you can get really into a book. You can get really into a series. And this is the next level of getting into an immersive experience of playing these characters.”

The Mandalorian star also added that he (and co-star Bella Ramsey) were “exhausted” while working towards meeting fan expectations:

“People’s relationship to that experience is a deep one, and we want to kind of expand on that, meet expectations, surpass expectations, learn something new, show something new, and also honour what is originally there. And we’re exhausted.”

Following the release of the show, Pedro Pascal garnered critical acclaim and mass appreciation for his portrayal of Joel.