Pedro Pascal has had many iconic roles in his career, but there is one that he credits the most as being a "game changer."

In a new cover story with Vanity Fair published Tuesday (June 24), the 50-year-old actor recalled his time appearing on season four of Game of Thrones and how that unforgettable experienced changed everything, per People. Pascal caught viewers' attention as Oberyn Martell, a prince of Dorne who had one of the most memorable fight scenes in the show's run, and despite his brief stint on the series, it had a lasting impact.

"It's the reason that I'm here now, I think. I don't think I know. I still can't believe it happened that [showrunners] David Benioff [and] Dan Weiss would take this chance," he said. "They could have had, I don't know, whoever they wanted and that they actually paid attention to somebody who had a lot of, you know, regional theater, Off-Broadway work and episodic television on their résumé to step into this kind of a part in the height of their popularity. And to this day, I kind of am indebted to them for my career."

Pascal was already "such a fan of the show" when he landed the part. He also had some assistance from his best friend Sarah Paulson who was able to push along his audition tape to her friend and actress Amanda Peet, who is married to Benioff. The rest, as they say, is history.

"I was obsessed with the show," he said. "Getting to go and be with this ensemble and on those locations in a comfortable costume and in a really good role? I could barely f------ believe what was happening to me, to be honest with you."

Since appearing on the hit HBO series, Pascal has landed other starring roles in series like The Mandalorian, Narcos and The Last of Us and films The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Materialists as well as the upcoming Marvel movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Toby Knapp