Pedro Pascal is one of the biggest leading men in Hollywood right now, but when exactly did he become a household name? For most people, the 51-year-old actor seemingly came out of the woodwork as a big star with 2019’s The Mandalorian, following a short but memorable stint in Game of Thrones Season 4. In reality, the Materialists actor had been working at an acting breakthrough for the better part of two decades, and Pascal didn’t hold back about the challenges of trying to find fame in Hollywood.
2025 was a huge year for Pascal, with leading roles in star-studded movies such as Materialists, Eddington and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which marked Pascal’s debut in the MCU. The Last of Us actor has staged quite the coup amid the last stretch of the 2026 movie schedule, with the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday and his latest film, Behemoth!
Despite the sudden transition to internet Zaddy status, Pascal wasn’t quick to forget the years he spent taking small TV role after small TV role. The Gladiator II actor was brutally honest with Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast on how the struggle shaped as a big time actor in Hollywood:
You’ve got to eat shit, and you’ve got to take a lot of shit. That’s part of it. It’s a huge part of it for me, because it forms character, hopefully in the direction of knowing how to treat other people and protecting the value of generosity, because it comes around. There isn’t any way I would be here were it not for the generosity of others who have been there for me. I owe it to all the people in my life. I wouldn’t know where to begin. It’s a population of people that I owe things to.
Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal seems to be one of the good ones, and it’s a relief to know that it’s not all for show. The fame, and swoons of many, have seemingly not gone to his head. He’s still that guy just trying his best to crush any role he gets, big or small.
And the roles were small. The Star Wars alum wasn’t kidding when he said he was grateful for every single casting director or peer who took a chance on him, managing to turn a one-off guest star appearance in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer into nearly 15 years of entry-level gigs. Pascal has never been one to glamorize the experience, openly sharing that he struggled to pay bills at times and almost quit.
However, it was the love of the game, and his ability to crush any role big or small, even a simple maitre d line in a Matt Damon film, that kept his stock going until it eventually took off. The Wild Robot actor says that’s part of the secret to having to deal with all that mess in the early years of an acting career:
What I would tell anyone is that if you’re waking up every day and trying, and some days that means not doing anything at all, but you have intention behind your pursuit, you’re in love with what you’re pursuing and you’re pursuing it in your own way, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Have faith in that. I think it’s a huge mistake if you feel like you need to mold yourself into something that doesn’t feel true to yourself, or meet an expectation that even fractionally feels like some kind of internal betrayal.
Pedro Pascal
It’s true, I’ve never felt like Pascal has put on a mask when doing press for his projects, and though he was never able to be particularly picky in his roles before, I’m quite excited for his ability to do so now. Once an actor reaches a certain status in Hollywood, they gain an unspoken ability to select work that really interests and challenges them. Said work also usually reflects stars' values as well, as evidenced by the stories they choose and who they decide to work with.
That's why I’m so excited to see Pascal in Behemoth!, which is about a cello player who returns home to LA after 20 years and reunites with people he left behind. Director Tony Gilroy has hinted that there's a lot more to this movie than has been revealed in the teasers and synopsis, but I’ll bet that one watch at the trailer will have you hooked:
Ah, the classic Pedro Pascal pout, and I’ll go to the theater just to see it. If you’re not convinced by the trailer, perhaps knowing that Pascal took up learning cello before the film was even greenlit will convince you of his dedication to this performance. There’s no wonder it already has Oscar buzz surrounding it.
In any case, though, it's clear that Pascal has paid his dues in Hollywood, and we, the viewers, are all the better for being able to see his talents on display so frequently. Be sure to catch Pascal in what might be a defining role for him when Behemoth! hits theaters December 4th.
