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| Pedro Pascal attends The Fantastic Four: First Steps Penn Plaza Celebratory Event at Penn Plaza Pavilion on July 24, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Disney) |
Pedro Pascal Joins NPR’s ‘Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!’ for a Hilarious August 9, 2025 Episode
NPR’s hit comedy news quiz “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” brought another unforgettable episode to listeners on August 9, 2025, recorded in front of a lively Chicago audience. The show’s signature mix of sharp news commentary, unpredictable humor, and playful chaos was in full swing — and with Pedro Pascal in the guest seat, it was bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
This week’s guest host was the always-witty Tom Papa, with legendary voice Bill Kurtis serving as judge and scorekeeper. Joining the panel were Brian Babylon, Negin Farsad, and Roy Blount, Jr., each bringing their own comedic flavor to the evening’s events.
Who’s Bill This Time?
The episode kicked off with the “Who’s Bill This Time” segment, where Bill Kurtis read three headlines that only this show could make sound even stranger than reality. The topics?
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Messing With Texas – A story that made Texans collectively raise their eyebrows.
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A Five-Star Story – No, not a restaurant review — something even stranger.
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One Last Trip To The Zoo – The kind of animal encounter you won’t find on the Discovery Channel.
The panelists took turns guessing the real stories behind these quirky headlines, and, as usual, the wrong answers were almost more entertaining than the right ones.
Panel Questions: A Truly White Wedding
The panel then tackled a bizarre real-world headline involving a “truly white wedding.” Without spoiling too much, let’s just say it was the kind of situation where truth was stranger than fiction, and the punchlines practically wrote themselves.
Bluff the Listener: Adam Driver Edition
In “Bluff the Listener,” the panel told three wild stories involving actor Adam Driver, but only one of them was actually true. Listeners were treated to:
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An outrageous on-set meltdown involving a giant salad.
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An impromptu opera performance in a Paris subway.
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A bizarre real-life fan encounter that left Adam both confused and amused.
The contestant had to guess which story was real — and the truth was as entertaining as the lies.
Not My Job: Pedro Pascal Takes On Us Weekly
The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Pedro Pascal’s guest appearance in the “Not My Job” segment.
Pascal, riding high on an Emmy nomination for his role in HBO’s The Last of Us and fresh from his work in the upcoming Fantastic Four film, gamely took on the quiz “The Last of Us… Weekly” — three questions about the celebrity gossip magazine Us Weekly.
Despite admitting he’s not exactly a tabloid connoisseur, Pascal’s quick wit and charming banter with Tom Papa had the audience laughing from start to finish. The way he poked fun at himself — and the absurdity of certain celebrity headlines — was peak Pedro.
More Panel Questions: From Face Lifts to Baby Steps
The show then returned to news-inspired hilarity with stories like:
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A New Way to Face Lift – Science meets beauty trends in a way that probably made some listeners clutch their cheeks.
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One Big Step For Baby – A toddler’s unexpected achievement that somehow made national news.
Limericks With Bill Kurtis
One of the show’s most beloved segments, Bill Kurtis’s limericks, did not disappoint. This week’s rhyming riddles touched on:
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Wedding Cake Trauma – Possibly the most dramatic dessert disaster of the year.
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Multitasking in the Tub – Because apparently bubble baths aren’t relaxing enough.
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A Midsummer Night’s Grand Prix – Shakespeare meets high-speed racing.
As always, the audience erupted in applause when listeners nailed the right answers.
Lightning Fill in the Blank
This rapid-fire round tested the panelists’ knowledge on everything that didn’t make it into the earlier segments. The pace was frantic, the jokes came faster than the answers, and the scoreboard quickly became less about points and more about comedic glory.
Predictions: Zoos of the Future
The episode closed with the panel’s predictions for how zoos might grab our attention next, following a bizarre real-life incident at a Danish zoo. Answers ranged from absurd to oddly plausible, proving once again that reality is just a suggestion on Wait Wait.
Why This Episode Stands Out
Pedro Pascal’s natural warmth, quick humor, and ability to roll with the unexpected made him the perfect “Not My Job” guest. His chemistry with Tom Papa, plus the energy from the Chicago audience, elevated the episode into one of the most entertaining of the season.
For fans of The Last of Us, Fantastic Four, or just Pedro Pascal’s signature charm, this episode was a treat. For long-time listeners of Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!, it was a reminder of why this show has stayed fresh and funny for so many years — it’s a mix of smart news humor, playful unpredictability, and guests who are game for anything.
Final Takeaway: If you missed the live broadcast, this is one you’ll want to stream. Between the absurd headlines, sharp-witted panel, and Pedro Pascal proving he’s just as good at comedy games as he is at saving the world on TV, the August 9, 2025 episode was Wait Wait at its best.
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