Pedro Pascal joked about the big differences between HBO shows 'The Last of Us' and 'The White Lotus' in his first 'Saturday Night Live' hosting gig

• Pedro Pascal hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time this weekend.
• He explored the differences between his show "The Last of Us" and "The White Lotus" in his monologue.

Pedro Pascal joked about the differences between his hit show "The Last of Us" and fellow HBO series "The White Lotus" in his opening monologue on "Saturday Night Live."

The actor and first-time host received a roaring round of applause at his first mention of "The Last of Us," a drama series based on a 2013 video game of the same name. The fourth episode is set to premiere on Sunday, according to IMDb.

Pascal quickly pointed out the difference between the post-apocalyptic show and the second season of "The White Lotus," which was set and filmed in Sicily, Italy.

"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 want to shoot in a freezing Canadian forest while being chased around by a guy whose head looks like a genital wart."

The actor also said it was "an honor" to be part of other big-budget franchises like "The Mandalorian," in which he stars as the titular character, and "Game of Thrones," in which he played Prince Oberyn Martell.

He shared an anecdote about being recognized by a "Mandalorian" fan who wanted Pascal to call his young son.

"Next thing I know, I'm FaceTiming with a six-year-old who has no idea who I am because my character wears a mask for the entire show," he said. "The guy is like, 'Just do the Mando voice,' but the Mando voice is like a bedroom voice. Without the mask, it just sounds porn-y. So, people walking by on the street see me whispering to a six-year-old kid."

Pascal later opened up about his large family in Santiago, Chile, where he was born in April 1975. He joked that he knew his cousins were proud of him because they "give my phone number to every single person they meet."

He told Time in 2017 that his family had to leave the country to seek political asylum from dictator Augusto Pinochet when he was nine months old. After being sent to Denmark and living in the US for some time, Pascal's parents and siblings moved back to Chile in 1995.

The actor got emotional while speaking about his loved ones and thanked them for their support as he closed his monologue.

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

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