Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal Today: Emmy Award Nominations

In 2023, Pedro Pascal made history by receiving a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role in The Last of Us, becoming only the second Latino actor to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He also achieved a record this year by securing two additional Emmy nominations, marking the highest number of nods ever received by a Latino actor in a single year.

Who Is Pedro Pascal?

Pedro Pascal is a Chilean-American actor who first gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Oberyn Martell in HBO’s Game of Thrones in 2014. This breakout role propelled him to stardom, leading to critically acclaimed performances in series such as Narcos and The Mandalorian, as well as films like Wonder Woman 1984. His recent leading role in HBO’s The Last of Us earned him a historic Emmy nomination, solidifying his status as a leading figure in Hollywood.

Early Life

José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born on April 2, 1975, in Santiago, Chile. His mother, Verónica Pascal, was a child psychologist, and his father, José Balmaceda, a former fertility doctor. In the 1970s, Pascal’s parents were political opponents of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, which forced the family to flee Chile when Pascal was just nine months old. They first moved to Denmark before eventually settling in San Antonio, Texas. Pascal grew up speaking both Spanish and English and frequently visited family in Chile.

Pascal’s love for cinema began in childhood, heavily influenced by his father, who regularly took him to the movies. His early fascination with films like Indiana Jones was so intense that he once broke his arm twice while pretending to be the famous archaeologist. After fifth grade, Pascal’s family relocated to California, where he experienced bullying but found his passion for acting while attending the Orange County School of the Arts. He later pursued formal acting training at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he also formed a lasting friendship with actress Sarah Paulson.

Struggles as a Young Actor

Pascal’s early acting career was marked by struggle. His first audition for the 1996 legal thriller Primal Fear was unsuccessful, and for nearly a decade, he found work primarily in guest-starring roles on television. Following the death of his mother in 1999, Pascal changed his professional surname from Balmaceda to Pascal to honor her memory and to simplify pronunciation for American audiences.

During these challenging years, Pascal made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Good Wife, Homeland, and Nurse Jackie. He was also cast in a 2011 television adaptation of Wonder Woman, which ultimately was not picked up. Additionally, Pascal was active in theater, performing in various stage productions and earning accolades such as the Los Angeles Critics Circle Award and the Garland Award for his role in Orphans. He also wrote his own play, Flaca Loves Bones, directed by comedian Sarah Silverman. However, it wasn’t until his role in Game of Thrones that Pascal’s career truly began to take off.

TV Shows: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Narcos,’ ‘The Last of Us,’ and More

Game of Thrones

Pedro Pascal, a longtime fan of Game of Thrones, learned that the show was seeking an actor in his 30s to portray Oberyn Martell, a quick-witted prince known for his charm and fighting prowess. Pascal auditioned for the role by recording a self-taped audition on an iPhone, a video that was later shared by Sarah Paulson with her friend, actress Amanda Peet. The performance impressed Peet, who passed it along to her husband, Game of Thrones co-showrunner David Benioff. Pascal’s captivating portrayal of Oberyn, introduced in the series’ fourth season, made an immediate impact. As Collider noted, Pascal’s disarming charm, combined with the character’s underlying anger, made Oberyn a fan favorite. Despite his brief screen time, the character’s iconic death in the eighth season, during a brutally graphic fight, became one of the most memorable moments in television history.

Narcos

In 2015, Pascal gained further recognition for his role in Narcos, the Netflix crime drama series that chronicles the rise and fall of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Pascal portrayed Javier Peña, a real-life DEA agent who was instrumental in the investigation and manhunt for Escobar. His performance earned praise for both its depth and charisma, with Collider describing him as a key driver of the series and Screen Rant noting that Pascal was finally given the opportunity to lead a major series. Narcos ran for three seasons, concluding in 2017.

The Mandalorian

Since 2019, Pascal has starred in the acclaimed Star Wars series The Mandalorian on Disney+. As the titular bounty hunter, Pascal portrays a silent, stoic figure whose face remains concealed by his iconic Mandalorian armor. Despite initially taking on the role with the understanding that his face would rarely be seen, Pascal later recorded the character’s dialogue after stunt performers stood in for him during the first season. Pascal sought to make his character relatable, explaining that, like the Mandalorian, people often hide behind metaphorical armor due to fear and trauma. He described the character as morally complex, stating that The Mandalorian plays with the boundaries of heroism, setting it apart from more traditional Star Wars protagonists. The show’s creator, Jon Favreau, has confirmed that a fourth season script is ready, though a release date is yet to be announced.

The Last of Us and Historic Emmy Nomination

In 2023, Pascal took on the pivotal role of Joel in The Last of Us, HBO’s adaptation of the 2013 video game. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the series follows Joel’s journey to smuggle a young girl named Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, across a pandemic-ravaged America. Pascal’s portrayal of Joel, a man burdened by past trauma and loss, earned widespread critical acclaim. Collider praised his nuanced performance, highlighting his ability to portray vulnerability beneath a tough exterior. Although both Pascal and Ramsey had appeared in Game of Thrones, they had never shared scenes together until The Last of Us. Despite this, Ramsey described their chemistry as immediate, with their relationship on-screen growing organically. Pascal’s performance in the series earned him a 2023 Primetime Emmy Award nomination, making him only the second Latino actor to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, following Jimmy Smits. In a landmark year, Pascal received three Emmy nominations in 2023, also for his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live and his narration of Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World, setting a new record for most Emmy nominations by a Latino actor in a single year.

Movies: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ and More

As his television career soared with roles in Game of Thrones and Narcos, Pedro Pascal began to expand his film portfolio, making notable appearances in Bloodsucking Bastards (2015), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and Triple Frontier (2019).

His first major film role came with 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984, where he portrayed the antagonist Maxwell Lord. Alongside Gal Gadot as the titular superhero, Pascal’s character was a charismatic yet corrupt businessman who gains supernatural powers after stealing a mysterious artifact. According to director Patty Jenkins, Lord’s character was inspired, in part, by real-life figures such as Donald Trump and Bernie Madoff.

In 2022, Pascal starred in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, a comedy-action film in which Nicolas Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself. Pascal, portraying a billionaire super-fan of Cage, expressed his excitement at joining the cast, as he had long been a fan of the actor.

This fall, Pascal will appear in the comedy Drive-Away Dolls, directed by Ethan Coen. The film follows two friends, played by Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan, on a road trip during which they unknowingly come into possession of a stolen briefcase. Pascal portrays one of the criminals chasing the briefcase. Drive-Away Dolls is slated for theatrical release on September 22.

Family Background

In 1995, Pascal’s father, José Balmaceda, a doctor involved in a fertility clinic at the University of California, Irvine, faced allegations of unethical practices. He was accused of taking eggs and embryos from patients without consent, with some of these embryos later being implanted into other women. José was also accused of underreporting payments. Pascal has consistently maintained his father’s innocence in these matters.

In September 1995, José returned to Chile, where he was not charged, and his family, including Pascal’s mother Verónica and two younger siblings, soon followed. Verónica Pascal tragically died by suicide in 1999. In 2021, José Balmaceda pled guilty to tax fraud, but at the time of the alleged egg and embryo thefts, there were no legal repercussions for such actions.

Pedro Pascal has also been a steadfast supporter of his younger sister, Lux, who publicly came out as transgender in 2021. He described Lux, an actor and transgender activist, as “one of the most powerful people and personalities” in his life.