"Game of Thrones" star Pedro Pascal has joined a new Netflix series about cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar. Pedro Pascal, who played the role of prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper, in 'Game of Thrones' was cast to star opposite Wagner Moura in Netflix's Pablo Escobar drama "Narcos."

Pedro Pascal will star as a coke-busting Mexican DEA agent in the new Netflix series Narcos. Narcos will be written by Chris Brancato and directed by Jose Padilha. The series was inspired by the true story of the spread of cocaine drug cartels across the globe, and how the law enforcement tried to stop it.

Padilha and Moura worked together before on the "Elite Squad" and "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within."

"Narcos" will center on the notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, who will be played by Moura. Pascal plays Javier Pena, a Mexican DEA agent who goes to Colombia to kill Escobar for the Americans.

Pedro Pascal talked to Hero Complex magazine about his turn as the Red Viper. Pascal had not then read the George R.R. Martin novels that inspired "Game of Thrones" when he went up for the part.

"I never associated any kind of possibility of being a part of it as I watched it," Pascal told the magazine.
"When I got the audition, it didn't seem attainable to me, so really the spoilers in the sides were what I had my first reaction to. I was upset because I found some major things out...  I threw the [script] pages into the air in fury, and 17 pages of sides came floating down. It was very dramatic. I should have taped that and sent it. I was genuinely upset. I like to watch my shows, you know what I mean? I like surprises, especially on a show like 'Game of Thrones.'"

Pascal got a lot of notice for his Enigo Montoya ("The Princess Bride") turn as the Red Viper, until he got his eyes popped out by Gregor (The Mountain) Clegane.

"Narcos," is set to begin filming soon in Colombia. The series is being produced by Gaumont International Television. It will be executive produced by Padilha, Eric Newman, who made "Children of Men," Doug Miro and Carlos Bernard, who worked on "Sorcerer's Apprentice," and Chris Brancato from "Hannibal." Netflix ordered 10 episodes.

Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile. As a child Pascal moved with his family to Demark and San Antonio, Texas, before relocating to Orange County, N.Y. Pascal studied theater at New York University.

Before he was on Game of Thrones, Pascal worked on "The Mentalist" and "The Good Wife."

Narcos will premiere on Netflix in 2015.