In honor of Hispanic American Heritage Month, we continue to recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of notable immigrants and refugees who’ve helped shape America’s vibrant tapestry. Today, we highlight award-winning actor professionally known as Pedro Pascal.
Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile, on April 2, 1975. Pascal’s father worked as a fertility doctor, while his mother worked as a child psychologist. Pascal’s parents strongly opposed Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet and decided to flee the country. When Pedro was only nine months old, his parents snuck their way into the Venezuelan embassy in Santiago to request asylum.
The family was later granted asylum in Denmark but moved to San Antonio, Texas, before finally finding refuge in Orange County, California. Film played an important part in Pascal’s childhood; his father often took the family to the cinema. Soon after moving to California, he began attending the Orange County School of the Arts.
In 1993, while attending school in New York, Pascal first met his lifelong friend, Sarah Paulson, who helped him get on his feet. Pascal had been unemployed for a decade before Paulson helped him take advantage of an opportunity that would change his career trajectory. Pascal auditioned for a new television series looking to cast an actor in his 30s. He recorded a self-tape on his iPhone, and Paulson shared it with the production team.
It turned out to be his breakout role as Oberyn Martell in the critically acclaimed hit, “Game of Thrones.”
Pascal went on to play feature roles in hit productions such as “The Mandalorian”, “Narcos”, and “The Last of Us.”
In 2023, Pedro received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for “The Last of Us.” The nod made him the second Latino actor in history to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series.
So far, Pascal has earned 22 awards for various performances in television and film, including the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards for ‘Best Duo’ (with Bella Ramsey) and ‘Best Hero,’ and the 2024 People’s Choice Award for ‘Male TV Star of the Year’ for his performance as Joel Miller in “The Last of Us.”