Things You Probably Don't Know About Pedro Pascal But Should

Since securing the main role in HBO's The Last Of Us, Pedro Pascal's career has taken off like a rocket. Here are some things you should know about him if you haven't already.

1.Pedro was born in Santiago, Chile on April 2, 1975. He was only there for a few months when his family relocated to Denmark, then to San Antonio, and finally to Orange County, California, after obtaining political asylum.

Pedro told Variety that relocating to California was a "shock," and that he battled with "a lot of bullying" over the course of "two really, really hard years."

2. Pedro's surname was spelled "Balmaceda" at first. "Pascal" is his mother's maiden name, which he took after her death to commemorate her. "And secondly, since Americans have such a difficult time pronouncing 'Balmaceda,'" he told Variety. "That was draining."

3. One of Pedro's siblings, Lux, is also an actor. She's participated in Chilean TV shows like Juana Brava and even Narcos with him.

Lux is also transgender, and Pedro openly backed her when she announced her gender transition in 2021.

4. Pedro was a "great swimmer" as a child, according to the San Antonio Express-News. He even competed in Texas state finals before opting to pursue acting instead.

Pedro told Variety that seeing the play Angels in America in high school "changed" him, prompting him to enrol in the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU to pursue acting.

5. Nicolas Cage is Pedro's "greatest influence."

"In terms of wild, humorous, dramatic, frightening, spontaneous, intriguing, and unique performances — in the medium of comedy, independent cinema, and something commercial, romantic, or art house. He covered a wide range of topics "He told GQ about it. "It's simply like, yeah, okay, you're my teacher."

6. He waited tables to support himself while attempting to launch his acting career — and he bombed at it.

"I wouldn't say I was a good waiter," he admitted to Vanity Fair. "There are so many diverse causes. I liked you if I liked you. I didn't if I didn't. And that didn't always go well with having a lot of customers. I was dismissed frequently, possibly up to ten times."

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of Pedro's first acting appearances. In a 1999 episode, he played Eddie, a first-year college student.

While Pedro having never seen the show, he claimed to have "[He] has subsequently introduced [himself] to the entire Buffy experience. It was exciting since it was the fourth season premiere, directed by Joss Whedon. I always perish. In every way. Even now, after all these years, I still die."

8. Prior to his role in Wonder Woman 1984 in 2020, Pedro appeared in a 2011 TV pilot based on the character. However, NBC decided not to pursue it, which Pedro described as "devastated."

9.He is good buddies with Oscar Isaac. They met while working on an off-Broadway show and have since become lifelong friends.

They even have these amusing competitions to see who is the "daddiest" among them.

10. Sarah Paulson is also a close friend of his. In an interview with Interview magazine, Pedro recounted meeting her in September 1993, the same month he arrived to New York City.

According to Variety, she even assisted him in landing his job on Game of Thrones by sharing his audition tape with a friend whose husband was one of the showrunners.

11. He got a lot of injuries while working on show.

"I stabbed myself with the spear. The only injuries I've ever inflicted were my own "In 2014, he told Complex. "My knees were swollen. I continued whacking myself with the bandaged stick I was using for practise. My worst opponent was myself."