Pedro Pascal is now at the height of his career, both figuratively and literally. In this case, the setting is a stylish rooftop club atop the Martinez, one of the most luxurious and meticulously designed hotels along the Cannes promenade. Despite the glamorous backdrop and sweeping views, Pascal does not forget where he came from. He grew up in a family of refugees who moved from country to country. His parents fled Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in Chile in the 1970s, he says. They were granted asylum in Denmark and later moved to the United States, first to Texas and then to California.
Asked how this upbringing as a migrant shaped him, Pascal says it defined him completely. He considers himself fortunate to have grown up and been educated in the United States and cannot imagine what would have happened had the family stayed in Chile. He was an infant when they arrived, but the home he grew up in “felt fully Chilean.” When he was eight, his parents received a pardon that allowed them to visit Chile again and reunite with their extended families. “My values come directly from my parents,” he says, adding that their worldview played a decisive role in who he eventually became.
On U.S. immigration policy under President Donald Trump, Pascal says only that he wants people to be safe and that he wants to live “on the right side of history.”
Given his background, it is unsurprising that Pascal has developed a strong liberal and progressive sensibility, especially around migrant and refugee rights. He is an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ rights and civil rights more broadly and has criticized racism, homophobia and attempts to restrict abortion. On Instagram, he has repeatedly voiced support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Pascal has also spoken publicly about the war in Gaza. In December 2023, he called for a ceasefire and for supporting Doctors Without Borders. In 2025, he urged aid for women and children in Gaza suffering from hunger and criticized Hollywood’s silence on Israel’s actions. In January, he is set to co-host a fundraising event in Los Angeles with model Bella Hadid for Palestinians and Sudanese civilians. Notably, he did not join fellow actors Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone in signing an open letter calling for a boycott of Israeli filmmakers, festivals and cultural institutions.
Pascal is known for expressing his views openly. Asked whether he fears the consequences, he acknowledges the risk but says, “Fear is how those who want to silence us win.” Efforts to censor creators are increasing, he argues, and his message to artists is to keep telling stories, keep expressing themselves and push back. “Do not let them win,” he says.
In 2024, Pascal appeared in Gladiator II as General Marcus Acacius. Then came 2025, a major year for the actor, who turned 50 in April. He appeared frequently on screens, including in commercials, and in the media, including a memorable Vanity Fair cover. The death of his character early in the second season of the post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us drew significant attention. At the Cannes Film Festival, an Australian journalist, known for her blunt questions, reignited discussion of the plot twist during a press conference, prompting murmurs and accusations of spoilers even though the information was no longer secret.
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Pascal as General Marcus Acacius, from 'Gladiator II'
(Photo: Courtesy of Tulip Entertainment)
Three of Pascal’s films were released in 2025. In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a Marvel superhero film, he played Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, the genius leader of the Fantastic Four. Pascal described the character as someone possessing “the wisdom of an octopus.” The film grossed $500 million and introduced him to wider audiences. He also proved wrong the comic-book fans who objected to his casting and called him too old or unsuitable.
His second film, Materialists, a romantic-comedy love triangle, performed well at the box office and co-starred Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans.
The third was Eddington, directed by Ari Aster, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Hereditary, Midsommar and Beau Is Afraid. The film screened in the main competition at Cannes and vied for the Palme d’Or. Despite its star-studded cast — including Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler and Luke Grimes — and Aster’s cult reputation, the film flopped at the box office. In Israel, it will not receive a theatrical release but will screen in cinematheques. The first local screening took place this week at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque as part of Utopia Festival 2025, with another set for December 30.
The story unfolds in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Phoenix plays the town sheriff, who refuses to wear a mask and will not enforce the mayor’s mask mandate. Pascal plays the mayor, with whom the sheriff has a long-standing rivalry. As local elections approach, the sheriff challenges him. The killing of George Floyd soon ignited youth-led protests against racism and police violence. The sheriff’s son becomes an activist, driven in part by a romantic connection, while the sheriff’s wife, played by Stone, is drawn into conspiracy theories. The town turns against the sheriff. Chaos escalates through social media, and tensions rise further over plans to build a massive data center in the area.
Asked how he experienced the COVID-19 period, Pascal says he and Joaquin Phoenix were likely “the only two people not affected psychologically.” What he remembers most, he explains, is the collective yet deeply personal nature of the experience. Before COVID, he assumed that, as a middle-aged man, his worldview was fixed and his future predictable. The pandemic disabused him of that notion. He now feels his perspective has loosened, that immediate and tangible things matter more to him than “the big world out there.”
Eddington tackles a wide range of contemporary anxieties, from Bitcoin and artificial intelligence to conspiracy theories and cults. It also touches on QAnon, a conspiracy theory that circulated widely among far-right circles in the United States and claimed that a shadowy “deep state” conspired against Donald Trump, that there was a secret child-trafficking ring and that the coronavirus was a hoax engineered by governments.
Asked what he thinks of such theories, Pascal says they reflect a deep human vulnerability: trauma, yearning and emotional fragility create openings for conspiratorial thinking. For some, he suggests, it is easier to believe a grand conspiracy than to confront personal pain. He considers this an insightful observation about how individual experiences can be exploited.
On how closely Eddington mirrors the realities of contemporary America, Pascal says the film is transparent, revealing and honest. Director Ari Aster, he argues, built a narrative filled with large ideas and uncomfortable truths, but grounded them in intimate, human motivations. “We are still creatures who breathe and feel and look for comfort,” he says, even as tech giants erode stable notions of what it means to be human. Straying from or following the path are both human impulses, he adds, and in that sense, the film ultimately offers hope. To Pascal, Eddington is an “ambitious and relevant story” that reflects deep societal fears while also giving voice to shared human experiences.
One of the most memorable moments in the film is the slap scene between him and Phoenix, simultaneously absurd and violent. Pascal recalls the shoot fondly. Although the two had never met before Eddington, the chemistry felt immediate. He hesitated to strike one of his favorite actors, but Phoenix insisted on a real slap. Pascal relented and delivered it without special effects. The moment, he says, laughing, came from wanting to give Phoenix what he needed for the scene.
Next year, Pascal will return as the Mandalorian in The Mandalorian & Grogu, a film within the Star Wars franchise. The path to this point has been long and difficult. In his youth, he says, he endured bullying for being “the weird, sensitive kid” obsessed with movies, theater and art. After graduating from an arts school, he performed in theater and made guest appearances on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law & Order, but a breakthrough did not come. At 29, he felt his career was over and described those years as a time when “everyone took care of me.” He says he was surrounded by “guardian angels,” including Greta, his pitbull mix, who stayed with him through years of loneliness and financial struggle in Brooklyn. Greta died while he was filming Game of Thrones, the show that finally brought him recognition. He often thinks about the contrast between the poverty of those early years and the comfortable life she would have had with him today.
Twenty years after that period of stagnation, 2025 has become the year of “Pedro Pascal is everywhere.” The term Pedro Pascal fatigue has even circulated online, suggesting he is overexposed. But critics of this idea overlook a key strength: Pascal’s ability to take on major roles without becoming trapped by any one character.
His portrayal of Oberyn Martell in season four of Game of Thrones, a flamboyant knight whose nights in King’s Landing brothels became fan favorites, did not hinder his credibility in his next major role as DEA agent Javier Peña in Narcos. That performance showcased his ability to bring intensity to a grounded, real-life figure rather than a mythic hero.
If Narcos was a major success, The Last of Us is unquestionably the series that cemented his place in popular culture. Pascal plays Joel Miller, a grieving father navigating a dystopian America who slowly rediscovers purpose as he protects Ellie, a teenage girl who may hold the key to humanity’s survival. Joel’s death in the second episode of season two stunned viewers unfamiliar with the game the series is based on. Some were so devastated they stopped watching altogether, prompting producers to clarify that Joel would continue appearing in flashbacks. The emotional impact affirmed Pascal’s central role in the show’s success.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pascal said he initially “denied Joel’s death” and described his final shooting day as deeply emotional. Arriving on set in full makeup and prosthetics “ruined the mood,” he says, because everyone immediately recognized the gravity of the moment. The show had a profound impact on him and marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
Pascal’s refusal to share details about his romantic life at age 50 has only fueled speculation about his sexuality. His bold fashion choices earned him the unofficial title of “the internet’s daddy” in 2023, prompted by a fatherly-inspired look at a film premiere. Reports have linked him to LGBTQ nightlife, and his social media presence has included rainbow-themed posts. He played a gay cowboy in Pedro Almodóvar’s 2023 short film Strange Way of Life, portraying the lover of Ethan Hawke. Pascal says Almodóvar’s work opened a door to an intoxicating world of storytelling, color, culture, rebellion and desire.
His connection to the LGBTQ community also stems from his close and supportive relationship with his sister, Lux Pascal, who came out as a transgender woman in 2021. Pascal has called her one of the strongest people he knows and said, “I need her more than she needs me.” Lux has said he played a crucial role in her transition and was one of the first to help shape her gender identity.
Earlier this year, Pascal made headlines after criticizing author J.K. Rowling, known for her comments about transgender people. He dismissed her arguments around the legal definition of “woman” as “nonsense” and “villainous.” His remarks drew backlash from conservative audiences.
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Pedro Pascal vs. J.K. Rowling
(Photo: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
Turning 50 has prompted Pascal to reflect on his life. He told Vanity Fair that the milestone feels more vulnerable than his forties. Asked if he wants children, he said he once imagined taking his kids to the movies as his parents took him, and would welcome “a shortcut” to the stage where a compelling child stands before him as his own, ready to share those experiences.
First published: 15:06, 12.12.25