Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal has a prolific acting career. Born in Chile, his family sought political asylum to get away from the chaos consuming the country at the time, and they would eventually end up settling in the United States. From high school drama class to NYU Tisch, Pascal never forgot that love of acting. His first prominent roles were in television series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and NYPD Blue, where he was credited under his actual name: Pedro Balmaceda. He eventually changed his stage name to Pedro Pascal to honor his mother, who had just died at the time.
Pascal’s filmography mainly consists of television roles, although he’s made appearances in films like The Great Wall, the best-selling Wonder Woman 1984, and If Beale Street Could Talk. One of his most exciting upcoming projects is the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us, where Pascal will portray protagonist Joel. Pascal has repeatedly shown that he is a versatile actor unafraid to cross into other genres and branch out. From Game of Thronesto Narcos, these are his best performances ranked.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Wonder Woman 1984
Warner Bros. Pictures
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman returned in 2020 with the release of the sequel Wonder Woman 1984. Set during the Cold War in 1984, Diana Prince / Wonder Woman is working at the Smithsonian in Washington, and she discovers a stone that allows its owner to make wishes. Then, the stone is stolen by a wealthy businessman (Pascal) that wants world destruction. Pascal’s performance in Wonder Woman 1984 stole the show and brought some life into a lackluster movie. His character desperately wants the American Dream. So when his company fails, he will do whatever it takes to continue being wealthy. Pascal was perfect for the role and embodied the character in a way no other actor could, eighties hair and suits included.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 If Beale Street Could Talk
Annapurna Pictures
If Beale Street Could Talk is an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel, but it took almost fifty years for the novel to appear on the big screen for the first time. A man (Stephan James) is falsely accused of raping a woman, and his girlfriend (KiKi Layne) tries to clear his name and prove that he’s innocent. Pascal plays a minor role in the movie, one where his character arranges a meeting between the girlfriend’s mother and the raped woman. Although his role was small, it helped create a moving and powerful movie that garnered acclaim.
5 Graceland
Fox Television Studios
In Graceland, rookie FBI agent Mike Warren (Aaron Tveit) travels to Southern California to investigate another agent. He is under the guidance of a legendary FBI agent Briggs (Daniel Sunjata), but in this place where crime is supposed to be busted, there are many dark secrets hidden under the floorboards. Pedro Pascal portrays Juan Badillo, a senior FBI officer sent to investigate Briggs in the first season. Badillo is a seasoned agent who relentlessly looks for the truth in a situation and is quite honorable. Pascal does an excellent job showing both sides of Badillo, whether it’s the tough love he pushes onto Mike or the soft-hearted man haunted by his past.
4 Triple Frontier
Atlas Entertainment, Netflix
Triple Frontier had a stacked cast; Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, and Pedro Pascal were all in this Netflix movie. Five former Special Forces operatives come together for the first time in years to plan a heist for USD 75 million in cash. They succeed in their plan, but as they try to escape the country, their plan crumbles quickly. While the movie’s script is weak at times, the performance of all of the actors manages to keep the production afloat. In a movie that’s part-survival and part-crime, the acting is crucial for keeping that genre switch alive. Pascal is a retired pilot who has doubts but still proceeds with the operation.
3 Game of Thrones
HBO Entertainment
Game of Thrones helped bring Pedro Pascal’s talent into the mainstream consciousness when he appeared in seven episodes of the show in 2014. He portrayed Oberyn Martell, the hot-headed and lethal younger brother of Doran Martell of Dorne. His first appearance on the show is in the fourth season; he comes to a wedding and is a suspect in the murder of the groom. He is a character obsessed with the concept of vengeance and reclaiming his grief through violence, and Pascal does a stellar job in conveying the nuances of Oberyn’s character arc. He was praised for his performance in the role, showing how well-loved he was as an actor after appearing on the show.
2 Narcos
Netflix
Immediately after appearing on Game of Thrones, Pascal landed a leading role in Netflix’s Narcos. Pascal has described this role as “Shakespearean." He plays a DEA agent, Javier Peña, looking to take down the Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The characters and television show were based on real people and events, running through the rise and fall of Escobar’s drug empire. Due to positive reception and feedback, the show returned for three seasons until a reboot, Narcos: Mexico, was launched instead of continuing the main story. Pascal’s performance was the glue holding it all together, leading to award nominations for his role alongside fellow actor Wagner Moura.
1 The Mandalorian
Lucasfilm
The Mandalorian is the first live-action series to grace the Star Wars franchise, and it was released to rave reviews and would win seven Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) was raised in Mandalorian society and becomes a bounty hunter. He is assigned to collect Grogu, more popularly known as Baby Yoda, and he decides not to fulfill his mission and instead return Grogu to his species. The Mandalorian was met with positive reviews for its direction and storyline and will have a second season. The series also had a technological innovation by using StarCraft technology.
