If you’ve watched popular TV shows like HBO’s fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” Netflix’s crime series “Narcos,” or Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” then you have seen Pedro Pascal.
The 48-year-old was born in Santiago, Chile and was surrounded by activism and politics. His parents, who worked as a child psychologist and fertility doctor, were close followers of Chile President Salvador Allende. The family was active in resistance groups when Allende died and General Augusto Pinochet refused to return authority to a civilian government. Even his sister Lux Pascal, who has appeared in soap operas and films, has been a champion for transgender rights.
Since his family were active against Pinochet’s dictatorship, the Pascals moved from Chile nine months after Pascal was born. The family sought refuge at the Venezuelan embassy in Santiago before later receiving political asylum in Denmark. As he got older, Pascal and his family moved to Orange County, California and San Antonio, Texas where he reached the state championships for competitive swimming when he was 11 years old.
Growing up, Pascal and his family were often at movies, and he became enamored with film. In particular, he loved “Indiana Jones” and even broke his arm twice while pretending to be the character when he was a child.
As Pascal grew older, he lost interest in swimming and found a love for acting in a drama class he took. Pascal went on to pursue acting at the Orange County School of Arts before eventually attending New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts —a performic, cinematic and media arts school that he graduated from in 1997.
In 1999, Pascal lost his mother, Verónica Pascal Ureta, to suicide, and after her death, he wanted to pay homage to her throughout his acting career. So, he began using her surname “Pascal” professionally rather than his original surname, Balmaceda.
To audition for “Game of Thrones,” Pascal had a friend record his audition on an iPhone that was then shared with actress Amanda Peet, the wife of “Game of Thrones” co-showrunner David Benioff. Prior to joining the show, Pascal was a journeyman actor who appeared in various theatrical performances.
On Netflix, Pascal played the role of Javier F. Peña, an American former Drug Enforcement Administration agent who investigated Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel, on the series “Narcos.”
Pascal’s acting and director career has earned him the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the Garland Award for his part in the International City Theater production of “Orphans.” His directing career has included plays like “underneathmybed,” and the plays “Yosemite” and “Killing Play” at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in West Village, New York.
Pascal has lived in New York City since 1993 and speaks both English and Spanish. In New York, he forged a strong friendship with actress Sarah Paulson who has appeared in various plays, TV shows, and films.
