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Whether you are a fan of the TV shows “The Mandalorian” and “Game of Thrones” or someone that uses social media daily, you may have noticed actor Pedro Pascal in recent celebrity news.
Pascal’s newest role in the show “The Last of Us” (named after its video game source material) has taken TikTok by storm.
“The Last of Us” series centers on a post-apocalyptic world in which a fungus has taken over and left a devastating zombie-like infection on its victims.
Pascal plays Joel Miller, one of the main characters. Alongside him is Bella Ramsay, who plays Ellie, a teen who is immune to the fungus. Season one follows Joel and Ellie’s search for doctors that can make a cure for the fungus from Ellie’s blood.
Kathrina Pastore, a senior nursing major at SUNY Plattsburgh, says, “One day about a few weeks ago, I opened TikTok just like any ordinary day, however this time I kept seeing edits of this man, Pedro Pascal. At the time, I didn’t know who he was at all. My friend then told me how he’s in a new show called The Last of Us and is currently the internet’s daddy.”
Florentina Gjonbalaj, another senior nursing major at SUNY Plattsburgh, paints a picture of her first encounter with the TikTok sensation.
“It was January 21, 2023, at 4:32 p.m. when I saw my first Pedro Pascal edit. I recognized this hunk of greatness from his days on “Game of Thrones,” but I had no idea of the beautiful amount of Pedro content that would soon flood my For You page.”
Below is a short overview of the lesser-known facets of Pedro Pascal, the internet’s newest heartthrob, history, and career.
Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1975, one of the most politically contentious periods for the country.
Agosto Pinochet, a military dictator, had taken control of the government in a military coup against left-wing President Allende. Pinochet’s rule devastated Chile and for Pascal’s family, it was a matter of safety and security.
Pascal’s mother has a direct relation to Allende, meaning living in Chile was no longer safe for the family. Because of this, the Pascals moved to California shortly after Pedro was born.
Fast forward to college, Pedro decided to attend New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue his love of acting. Pedro appeared in numerous TV series over the years 1999 to 2013 but became a household name with his role as Oberyn Martell in “Game of Thrones.”
From here, Pedro began landing roles in TV and film that pushed his name to the rankings of an “A” list actor.
One of the most recent discoveries in the Pedro Pascal fandom is his long-time friendship with actress Sarah Paulson.
The two met in the early 1990s in New York City after crossing paths in the acting world. Pascal and Paulson commemorated their friendship in a recent SNL skit where they played disgruntled high school teachers.
Another close celebrity friend of Pedro Pascal’s is Oscar Issac. Similar to Sarah Paulson, Pedro and Oscar met in New York City as well, as they worked together on “ The Beauty of the Father”, an off-broadway play.
In 2019, the two worked together again on the Netflix film “Triple Frontier.” In between their projects, Pascal and Issac stayed in touch and developed a great friendship.
The two are undeniable besties and seem to exude silliness wherever they go.
Lux Pascal, actress, and sister of Pedro Pascal is a transgender woman who recently came out on social media in 2021.
Pedro immediately took to Instagram and captioned Lux’s post, “Mi hermana, mi corazón, nuestra Lux.” In other words, “my sister, my heart, our Lux.”
In March 2023, Pedro was confronted by a provocative reporter who questioned why queer stories matter. Pascal denounced the insinuation made by the reporter that queer stories do not matter and responded, “they do!” and “you should know why.”
One of the most anticipated shorts he is set to appear in comes out in May of 2023 with the title “Strange Way of Life.” Pascal alongside Ethan Hawk, will star in this western-themed short.
Pedro Pascal is someone who, for most of his acting career, flew under the radar.
As great of a performer as he has always been, Pedro’s celebrity status did not come to fruition until he was 39 years old and working on “Game of Thrones.” Being someone going into the creative field after college, this is an incredibly reassuring fact.
The world of TV and film feels as though they are meant to be harnessed as soon as possible for creators of all types.
Actors like Pedro Pascal, are made to believe that without getting a big break by age 25, you’re a failure. Pascal proves all notions of this idea wrong. Moreover, he has a strong understanding of how to cultivate and sustain his passion for acting, which in reality, is much better than acting for fame.
For those looking for more of Pedro’s content, IMDb lists his upcoming roles here.