Pedro Pascal Jokes That Kieran Culkin ‘Beat the S— Out of Me,’ Thus Explaining His Arm Sling at Emmys

Pedro Pascal got his revenge on Keiran Culkin at the 2023 Emmy Awards by joking that his recent shoulder injury was because “Keiran Culkan beat the shit out of me.” The Emmys audience erupted in laughter while the broadcast cut to Culkin in the audience looking stone-faced serious.

Pascal has attended several awards shows in recent weeks wearing a giant sling because of a fall. He assured press at the Golden Globes earlier this month that his injury would be fully healed and the sling would be off by the time “The Last of Us” Season 2 kicks off filming in February. Pascal attended the 2023 Emmys as a nominee for “The Last of Us” in the best lead actor in a drama series category.

More from Variety

• Christina Applegate Earns Emmys Standing Ovation as Surprise Presenter, Gets Teary-Eyed: 'We Don't Have to Applaud Every Time I Do Something'

• Pedro Pascal, Jenna Ortega, Jodie Foster, Quinta Brunson Among Emmy Presenters

• Kieran Culkin Calls 'Succession' Spinoff a 'Horrible Idea,' but Says One About Cousin Greg Could Work

Culkin started his fake feud with Pascal at the Golden Globes when he won the prize for best actor in a TV drama thanks to his role on the final season of HBO’s “Succession.” During his acceptance speech, Culkin told the audience: “I was nominated for a Golden Globe like 20 years ago, and when that moment passed, I still remember thinking, I’m never going to be back in this room again.”

“But thanks to ‘Succession,’ I’ve been in here a couple times,” he continued before cracking up the crowd by saying: “Suck it, Pedro!”

The Globes broadcast then cut to a humorously puzzled Pascal in the audience. Pascal was also nominated for lead actor Golden Globe. Additional nominees at that ceremony included Brian Cox (“Succession”), Dominic West (“The Crown”), Gary Oldman (“Slow Horses”), and Jeremy Strong (“Succession”).

The first season of “The Last of Us” earned a total of 24 Emmy nominations, including outstanding drama series. Pascal and co-star Bella Ramsey will be back for the video game adaptation’s second season, which will introduce new cast members Isabela Merced, Kaitlyn Dever and Young Mazino. The latter is also an Emmy nominee this year in the outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category for his role on Netflix’s “Beef.”

Best of Variety

• From 'Killers of the Flower Moon' to 'Eileen': The Best Book-to-Screen Adaptations to Read This Year

• The Best 'Sopranos' Merch to Celebrate the Show's 25th Anniversary

• Oscars Predictions: International Feature – Which Country Benefits From the Absence of 'Anatomy of a Fall?'

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.