Pedro Pascal has become well-known for his expressive displays of affection towards friends and co-stars, yet there was one celebrity who seemed less than thrilled by his enthusiastic behavior.

At this year’s Emmy Awards, held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Pascal, 50, arrived wearing an all-white outfit paired with bold sunglasses.

Before settling into his seat, The Last of Us star encountered a tense moment with Severance actor Adam Scott, as both were nominees for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

The pair’s exchange, which was recorded before the show got underway, seemed a little tense, according to a body language expert.

In the clip, which has now been shared widely online, Adam initially tapped Pedro on the arm to get his attention.

But, when Pedro spun around and lunged straight in for a hug, Adam immediately ‘put on the brakes,’ Judi James exclusively told the Daily Mail.

Adam quickly placed his hands on Pedro’s shoulders to maintain some distance and deliberately stepped back to further create space.

Noticing the exchange, Judi commented: ‘Pedro’s body language as he approached nominee rival Adam suggested he prefers a very friendly and physical greeting, extending both arms for a warm hug.’

‘Adam performed several non-verbal gestures of hug-avoidance though, neatly side-stepping the PDA with moves that left the two men staring at each other from a very wide social distance instead.’

She continued: ‘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. 

‘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.’

She concluded: ‘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. 

‘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.’

In recent weeks, Pedro has gone viral for a series of run ins with female stars including Willem Dafoe’s wife and Fantastic Four: First Steps co-star Vanessa Kirby that some fans described as ‘creepy.’

But The Gladiator 2 star has been candid about his struggles with anxiety throughout his career and how human interaction helps to calm him.

During a chat with Men’s Health earlier this year, he revealed exactly how he copes with anxiety in difficult moments. 

‘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 said. 

‘I remember back in high school I was always such a good talker with friends… and then I don’t know how many days had gone by where we stopped doing that. 

‘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.’