It's really true what they say — stars, they're just like us. It's so comforting to know that Grammy-winning vocalist, Emmy-winning talk show host and queen of everything Kelly Clarkson is, like much of the population, harboring a crush on one Mr. Pedro Pascal, star of The Mandalorian, The Last of Us and 10 million TikTok edits.
While we can't confirm that Clarkson's TikTok FYP is filled with Pascal being a style icon, utterly charming in interviews and hilarious on SNL, we do know that she's a devoted fan of Pascal on everyone's favorite beautifully heartbreaking post-apocalyptic show, HBO's The Last of Us, in which Pascal stars as Joel Miller, a grief-stricken Texas father tasked with transporting a teenage girl, Ellie, played by the phenomenal Bella Ramsey, across the country, in hopes that she's the key to a cure for a worldwide pandemic.
Liane Hentscher/HBO
"I would survive the apocalypse just to be with this man," Clarkson says in a new video shared by The Kelly Clarkson Show. "I'm sitting here going off about how completely and utterly sexy he is, but here's the thing: it's not just that. His character is cool...his mystery, what all happened and why he's the way he is....I just think he does such a great job."
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Below, Clarkson gives a delightful breakdown of the series, including its devastating third episode, which broke all of our hearts and gave everyone a new appreciation for Linda Ronstadt's "Long Long Time." (If you need yet another reason to watch it, the show has an amazing soundtrack — perfect for riding in an old pickup truck and dodging infected.)
Of course, this isn't the first time Kelly has publicly swooned over a celeb. She made headlines for her "thirst tweet" about Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler, which she later addressed with Chandler himself on her talk show. It seems that Clarkson has a thing for gruff, yet caring Texas dads. (Relatable queen!)
When she's not busy weeping over The Last of Us, Clarkson is pulling double duty as the host of her talk show and a coach on The Voice, now in its 23rd season. She's also working on a new album, which is expected to address her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
"It's really cool and it's a great arc of a whole relationship," she said of the album. "It's not all sad or mad, but that's in there."
As for Pascal, he's busy transporting another child (the adorable Grogu) to safety, this time across hyperspace, on the Disney+ space western The Mandalorian. Let's hope he makes a stop on The Kelly Clarkson Show for his next round of interviews.
