Pedro Pascal’s Awkward Emmy Hug With Adam Scott Goes Viral

Pedro Pascal is famous for his warm hugs and affectionate personality, but not everyone in Hollywood seems to welcome it.

At the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles this year, the actor found himself in a painfully awkward moment when he leaned in for one of his signature embraces, only to be blocked by Adam Scott.

The red carpet encounter was caught on camera, and a body language expert has now broken down why the “hug freeze” instantly went viral.

Pascal arrived at the Peacock Theatre in style, wearing an all-white outfit paired with statement sunglasses.

Before taking his seat, the “Last of Us” star bumped into Scott, his fellow nominee for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

A now-viral clip shared by Vanity Fair showed Scott gently tapping Pascal on the arm, sparking what could have been a warm interaction.

However, when Pascal spun around with open arms, lunging forward for a hug, things quickly turned tense.

Speaking about the situation, body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that Pascal’s behavior showed his usual warmth.

“Pedro’s body language as he came face-to-face with nominee rival Adam suggested a man who prefers a very tactile and friendly approach to his main rival of the night as he threw both arms out to offer a full bodied, full-on hug embrace to Adam,” she noted.

Unfortunately, the hug attempt didn’t last long. The footage captured Scott putting his hands firmly on the 50-year-old’s shoulders, creating distance before Pascal could complete the embrace.

The language body expert described it as a full stop in action. “Pedro’s arms were in the act of encircling Adam’s torso when Adam performed a ‘braking’ gesture by putting his hands onto Pedro’s shoulders to halt the hug in its tracks,” James explained.

It didn’t end there. She added, “He pulled his head back and arched away from Pedro’s, squeezed his upper arms first to drop the hug and then his lower arms to end it altogether.”

As Pedro Pascal smiled through the interaction, Scott appeared determined to move things along. “Adam stepped back to restore space between them, even looking down and clapping his hands in front of his own torso in what looked like a bid to get things moving,” James shared.

The expert noted that Scott’s reaction went beyond a simple no-hug moment.

According to her, the 52-year-old added more gestures to make sure the embrace ended completely.

“With a large gap between the two men now, he even put one hand out to pat Pedro in what looked like a gesture to get him to turn and go on his way,” James said.

The interaction left the two actors standing at a noticeably wide distance, which only made the moment look more awkward.

Fans online were quick to point out how unusual it looked for Pascal, who is often the center of red carpet warmth, with one fan even calling him “sunshine.”

For years, Pedro Pascal has been celebrated as Hollywood’s most huggable star.

His open and affectionate nature has made him a favorite on red carpets and press tours. However, that habit doesn’t always land well.

In July 2025, the “Materialists” star made the headlines after a resurfaced video from January 2024 showed him touching the face of Willem Dafoe’s wife, Giada Colagrande, during Dafoe’s Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The clip sparked a backlash as many viewers called the gesture creepy and uncomfortable.

That same month, the movie star came under fire again following an interaction with Vanessa Kirby at the “Fantastic Four” press tour.

Many fans found his touching of her to be inappropriate, especially considering she was engaged at the time.

Pascal may be famous for being cheerful, but the actor also fights some inner battles.

In July, he opened up to Men’s Health about how he learned to cope with anxiety by connecting more with people.

“I noticed, especially during the period of summer 2020, and kind of isolation and how long my FaceTimes were and my phone conversations, that I had started to make an effort to engage more, having previously lost that options in many ways,” he explained.

He went on to reflect on his teenage years, noting that in high school, he used to be very extroverted. “And then I don’t know how many days had gone by where we stopped doing that,” he added.

That shift made him realize how important connection is to him.

“It’s something I’ve held onto very much. I was always one to reach out when I’m facing something that is challenging or making me anxious,” Pascal shared.