He’s The Perfect Joel Miller, But Where Else Have We Seen Pedro Pascal?

Pedro Pascal is a Chilean-American actor who has become increasingly popular over the past few years, thanks to his impressive performances on both television and film. With his natural charm, versatility, and range, Pascal has become one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. 

From his breakout roles on hit shows like "Game of Thrones" and "Narcos" to his recent leading role in "The Last Of Us," Pascal has proven time and time again that he is a force to be reckoned with. 

Here we’re taking a closer look at where else you might have seen Pedro Pascal on both the big and small screens.

Pedro Pascal, originally named José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal, was born on April 2nd, 1975, in Santiago, Chile. Although he had been taking small roles in film and television for nearly two decades, Pascal gained worldwide recognition for his performances as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of HBO's "Game of Thrones" (2014) and Javier Peña in Netflix's crime drama "Narcos" (2015-2017). 

He has since gone on to star as the titular character in the Disney+ Star Wars series "The Mandalorian" (2019) and its spin-off "The Book of Boba Fett" (2022). In 2023, he began playing the role of Joel in the HBO drama series "The Last of Us".

Pedro Pascal has acted in several films throughout his career, including "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011), "The Great Wall" (2016), "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017), "The Equalizer 2" (2018), "Triple Frontier" (2019), "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), and "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" (2022).

To pursue his passion for acting, Pascal attended the Orange County School of the Arts and graduated in 1993. He then went on to study at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he completed his degree in 1997

Why is Pedro Pascal sometimes credited as Pedro Balmaceda?

In his early work, including the role of Eddie in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Pedro Pascal is credited as “Pedro Balmaceda” instead. Pedro Pascal’s Mother was named Verónica Pascal Ureta and, when she died by suicide in 1999, he began using her surname professionally as a tribute to her (according to an interview in People during 2020). He also felt that Americans had difficulty pronouncing his original surname, Balmaceda. According to Variety, Pascal swapped his first name to Alexander for a while after Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” saying that he was willing to do absolutely anything to work more. He went on to say that if people felt confused by who they were looking at in the casting room because his first name was Pedro, then he’d change that but it didn’t work.

Some of Pedro Pascal’s stand out roles so far in his career have included:

Game of Thrones (2013):

In June 2013, he was cast as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones. Pascal stated that he was a huge fan of Game of Thrones before being cast as Oberyn and was ecstatic to join. His portrayal of the suave and deadly Prince of Dorne was one of the highlights of the fourth season of the show, and his character's brutal demise remains one of the most shocking moments in the series.

Narcos (2015):

In 2015, Pedro Pascal was cast in the role of U.S. DEA agent Javier Peña in the Netflix original show Narcos. Pascal played a DEA agent who was tasked with taking down notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar in this Netflix original series. Pascal's performance as the conflicted Peña earned him critical acclaim and helped make Narcos a hit.

The Mandalorian (2019):

Since 2019, Pascal has portrayed the lead role in The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars television series, which debuted on Disney+. Pedro Pascal plays a lone bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe. Pascal's understated yet powerful performance as the titular character has been praised for its emotional depth and range.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022):

Pedro Pascal starred alongside Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent which premiered at SXSW in April 2022. Pascal plays the role of Javi, who is described as a wealthy and charismatic art dealer with ties to a drug cartel.

The Equalizer 2 (2018): 

Pedro Pascal played the villainous Dave York in this action-packed sequel, holding his own opposite the film's star, Denzel Washington. His performance as a cold and calculating assassin was widely praised.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): 

Pascal portrayed the charismatic but morally ambiguous businessman Maxwell Lord in this superhero film. His performance was praised for its nuance and complexity, as he played a character who was both sympathetic and villainous.

The Last Of Us (2023):

In February 2021 Pedro Pascal was cast in the lead role of Joel Miller for the HBO adaptation of video game The Last of Us alongside Bella Ramsey. According to Variety, Pascal reportedly received $600,000 per episode.

The Mentalist (2014): 

He played the character of Marcus Pike, a special agent with the CBI (California Bureau of Investigation) who is assigned to work with the main character, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), on a case involving a kidnapped woman. Pascal's character appeared in three episodes of the show in total, and his performance was praised for its charisma and chemistry with the other actors.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017): 

Pedro Pascal played the role of Jack Daniels, also known as "Whiskey", in "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (2017). Whiskey is a Statesman agent and a skilled fighter with a lasso weapon, who teams up with the British agents of Kingsman to take on a common enemy. Pascal's performance as Whiskey was praised for his charm, humor, and action scenes, making him one of the standout characters of the film.

The Good Wife (2009): 

Pedro Pascal played the role of Nathan Landry in The Good Wife. Landry was a political strategist who was brought in to help with the campaign of Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) during his run for governor. Pascal appeared in a total of six episodes of the show during its fourth season, and his character was involved in several storylines related to the election and the Florrick family. Pascal's performance as Landry was praised for his ability to portray the character's manipulative nature and his chemistry with the other actors.

Graceland (2013): 

Pedro Pascal played the role of Juan Badillo in the USA Network series Graceland. Badillo was a drug trafficker and the leader of a powerful cartel based in Miami, who becomes a target of the law enforcement agents who live and work together in an undercover house known as Graceland. Pascal appeared in five episodes of the show during its second season, and his character was involved in several intense and dramatic storylines.

From his early roles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Law & Order" to his more recent turns in "The Mandalorian" and "The Last of Us," Pascal has consistently demonstrated his impressive range and versatility as an actor. His ability to bring complex characters to life and captivate audiences with his magnetic screen presence has solidified his status as a rising star in Hollywood. 

As we continue to see Pedro Pascal take on exciting new projects, we can only expect more great things from this talented actor in the years to come.

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