Pedro Pascal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pedro Pascal
Pascal in 2017
Born	José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal (1975-04-02) April 2, 1975 (age 49) Santiago, Chile
Other names	Pedro Balmaceda Alexander Pascal
Education	New York University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1996–present
Relatives	Lux Pascal (sister)
Signature

José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal (Spanish: [xoˈse ˈpeðɾo βalmaˈseða pasˈkal]; born April 2, 1975) is a Chilean and American actor. After nearly two decades of taking small roles in film and television, Pascal had his breakout role as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2014). He gained further prominence with his portrayal of Javier Peña in the Netflix crime series Narcos (2015–2017). He went on to appear in the films The Great Wall (2016), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), The Equalizer 2 (2018), and Triple Frontier (2019).

Pascal's leading roles as Din Djarin in the Disney+ science fiction series The Mandalorian (2019–present) and Joel Miller in the HBO post-apocalyptic drama series The Last of Us (2023–present) propelled him to international stardom, and earned him a reputation for portraying adoptive father figures. For the latter, he received numerous accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

Pascal's subsequent film roles were in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022). Active in theatre since 1999, he made his Broadway debut as Edmund in a 2019 adaptation of King Lear. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

Early life

José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born on April 2, 1975, in Santiago, Chile to child psychologist Verónica Pascal Ureta and fertility doctor José Balmaceda Riera. His paternal grandmother was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He has an older sister named Javiera, a younger brother named Nicolás, and a younger sister named Lux, who is an actress and transgender activist. Pascal's mother was the cousin of Andrés Pascal Allende, the nephew of socialist Chilean President Salvador Allende (through his sister Laura). Pascal Allende was an early leader of the Movement of the Revolutionary Left, a militant far-left organization.

Nine months after his birth, his family sought refuge in the Venezuelan embassy in Santiago, and later received political asylum in Denmark. Ultimately, the family moved to the United States, where Pascal was raised in San Antonio, Texas, until they relocated to Orange County, California, when he was 11 years old. By the time he was eight years old, his family regularly visited Chile to see his 34 cousins.

He pursued acting at the Orange County School of the Arts and graduated in 1993, before attending New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 1997. In 1995, his father was indicted by a federal grand jury for his involvement in events at a fertility clinic he ran with two others. Following this, Pascal's parents and two youngest siblings returned to Chile. Pascal maintains that his father did nothing wrong. ..... After her death, he began using her surname professionally as a tribute to her and because he felt that Americans had difficulty pronouncing his original surname, Balmaceda.

Career

1999–2013: Early work

Pascal has appeared in several television series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Good Wife, Homeland, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Graceland. He was cast in the pilot for the 2011 Wonder Woman television adaptation, but the show was not picked up.

Pascal at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con

Pascal has extensive stage experience as both an actor and director; he received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and Garland Award for his role in the International City Theater production of Orphans, and has performed in classical and contemporary works. In 2010, he wrote a play, directed by Sarah Silverman, Flaca Loves Bone, about four siblings who meet in a snowy wood to uncover a family secret. He made his directorial debut with play underneathmybed in 2008. He also directed Yosemite and Killing Play at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. He is a member of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company.

2014–2022: Breakthrough

Pascal at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con

In 2014, Pascal portrayed the character Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO's critically acclaimed television series Game of Thrones. The season aired from April 6 to June 15, 2014, and Pascal's performance as the passionate and vengeful Prince of Dorne garnered significant praise from both critics and audiences. Pascal stated that he was a huge fan of the show before being cast as Oberyn and was ecstatic to join. As part of the ensemble, he has received a Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

In the 2015 movie, Bloodsucking Bastards, Pascal portrayed the vampire Max. In April 2015, Pascal co-starred with Heidi Klum in the music video for Sia's "Fire Meet Gasoline". In August 2015, Pascal gained further recognition for his portrayal as Javier Peña, based on a real-life DEA agent, in the popular Netflix crime drama series Narcos. .....

In 2016, he portrayed mercenary Pero Tovar in the fantasy action film The Great Wall, alongside Matt Damon, and directed by Zhang Yimou. Set against the backdrop of the iconic Great Wall of China, the film follows European mercenaries who become embroiled in a battle against ancient creatures threatening humanity. Despite the film's visually stunning production and ambitious scope, it received mixed reviews for its narrative and character development. Filmed on location in Qingdao, China. Pascal has voiced his admiration for Yimou, whom he had been a fan of during his youth.

In 2017, Pascal portrayed the charismatic and skilled operative within the Statesman organization, Jack Daniels, also known as Agent Whiskey, in Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

In 2018, he starred as Dave York, the main antagonist, in Denzel Washington's thriller sequel film The Equalizer 2. In Prospect, Pascal portrayed the character Ezra, a seasoned and enigmatic prospector navigating a dangerous alien moon in search of valuable resources. In 2018's If Beale Street Could Talk, directed by Barry Jenkins and based on James Baldwin's novel, Pascal made a cameo appearance as Pietro Alvarez, a frivolous yet crucial character who ultimately reveals a compassionate and empathetic side.

In February 2019, Pascal made his Broadway debut in an adaptation of King Lear with Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson, where he took on the role of Edmund, the cunning and ambitious illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester. Since 2019, Pascal has portrayed the title role in The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars television series, which debuted on Disney+, the show follows the adventures of a lone bounty hunter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. The same year, he starred as Francisco "Catfish" Morales in the Netflix heist drama Triple Frontier.

He portrayed Maxwell Lord in the DC Extended Universe film Wonder Woman 1984, directed by Patty Jenkins. Following delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was released to theaters and HBO Max on December 25, 2020.

In early 2021, a video from a 2020 virtual play reading surfaced on multiple social media platforms of Pascal laughing hysterically then transitioning smoothly into crying. The video quickly became an internet meme, often being paired with the Beach House song "Space Song" to display themes of tragedy on social media.

In 2022, Pascal co-starred with Nicolas Cage in the action comedy film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. His performance was widely praised by the critics. Pascal also appeared in The Bubble, Judd Apatow's satirical comedy exploring celebrity culture amidst the pandemic. He starred in Miu Miu's Women's Tales' series short film, directed by Janicza Bravo, titled House Comes With a Bird. In November 2022, he was cast in Freaky Tales, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

2023–present: Worldwide recognition

In 2023, Pascal starred in the HBO's highly anticipated television adaptation, The Last of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game under the same title, created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. He took on the role of Joel Miller, a hardened survivor in a post-apocalyptic world, tasked with protecting a young girl named Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey. Pascal reportedly received $600,000 per episode. Empire's John Nugent and /Film's Valerie Ettenhofer praised Pascal's performance as the best of his career, citing his ability to portray nuance and rare vulnerability. The characterization of the paternal dynamic in the role and the similarity of his character in The Mandalorian earned Pascal widespread recognition for portraying adoptive father figures, which led him to become dubbed "The Internet's Daddy".

In February, he hosted a Saturday Night Live episode, with Coldplay as the musical guest. In April, he was added to the cast of Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls. In May, he co-starred in the short film Strange Way of Life alongside Ethan Hawke, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, whom Pascal has previously expressed his admiration for and desire to work with. In May, Pascal was cast in Gladiator II, the upcoming sequel of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. In June, Pascal was named by Carnegie Corporation of New York as an honoree of the Great Immigrants Award. In July, Pascal made history as the first Latino to receive three nominations in the same year for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. The nominations included Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal in The Last of Us, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his guest-hosting role in an episode of Saturday Night Live, and Outstanding Narrator for his narration in Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World.

In February 2024, Pascal was cast as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four.

Personal life

Pascal is fluent in both English and Spanish and has been a resident of New York City since 1993. He developed a close friendship with actress Sarah Paulson soon after moving there.

Pascal is an advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and was supportive of his sister Lux Pascal when she came out as transgender. Lux said, "He has been an important part of this. He is also an artist and has been a guide. He was one of the first to give me the things that formed my identity."

Pascal identifies as an agnostic and a progressive liberal. He endorsed leftist Gabriel Boric in the 2021 Chilean presidential election.

Acting credits and accolades

Beginning his career in 1996, Pascal's highest rated film and television projects, according to the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, include: The Uninvited (2024), The Last of Us (2023–present), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Calls (2021), The Good Wife (2009–2011), The Mandalorian (2019–present), Prospect (2018), Narcos (2015–2017), Game of Thrones (2014), and Graceland (2013–2014).

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Pascal para niños In Spanish: Pedro Pascal para niños