We continue our latest series of examining some of the works outside the saga of some of our most beloved actors in a galaxy far, far away.
Today we continue with the man of the moment – Pedro Pascal.
Pedro Pascal was born on April 2nd 1975 in Chile. Nine months after Pedro was born, his family moved to Denmark under political asylum. Eventually, his family moved to the US where they settled in Texas and then California. Pascal studied acting in California and then eventually in New York.
Narcos (Television series/2015-2017)
After House of Cards became the first streaming show of its kind and was a runaway success, it was only a matter of time before Netflix greenlit shows galore to add to their original catalogue. Narcos was a massive hit and stared Pedro Pascal as the role of a DEA agent who is tasked to bring down the infamous Pablo Escabar. The series holds a consistent score on Rotten Tomatoes with season 1 at 79%, season 2 at 96% and season 3 at 92%. The series won universal acclaim from both critics and audiences and was a big hit for the streaming service. So much so, in fact, that Netflix greenlit a spinoff series titled Narcos: Mexico that told a prequel story to Escabar and starred a man no stranger to prequels himself, Diego Luna.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
On paper, this film should not have worked. It’s absolutely bonkers. Nicolas Cage plays himself and the story goes that Nic Cage is a struggling actor who finds himself out of step with Hollywood and struggling with his career. This all changes however, when Nic Cage superfan – Pedro Pascal – hires Cage to come to his birthday party and the comedy of errors plays out from there. The film works. I saw it in the cinema, and it was a packed out screening. It’s creative, ingenious and simply entertaining. The film has become a cult hit and received positive reviews from critics. Pascal was singled out for his performance with many describing it as stealing the film and Cage and Pascal have brilliant chemistry on-screen. The film holds an impressive 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is outstanding considering just how bonkers it should be. Highly recommend.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
This sequel to the 2015 box-office smash doesn’t quite land as well as the first but is still really good popcorn fun. The story here follows on from the first film and reunites most of the cast whilst enlisting a brilliant ensemble of actors. The stellar cast includes Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Jullian Moore, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal and Elton John. Yes, Elton John. This time around, the Kingsman must team up with their American counterparts – The Statesman – after the world is held hostage by a drug cartel known as The Golden Circle. The film was box-office smash and even spawned a prequel released a few years later, The King’s Man. Worth a watch if you’ve got a quiet night in coming up.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
This sequel to the 2017 film faced multiple delays and was delayed massively due to the covid pandemic but was eventually released Christmas 2020. A starry cast are on display here with Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, Connie Nielson, Chirs Pine and Pascal. The film is set during the Cold War as Wonder Woman faces off against her enemies, with Pascal leading the charge of the antagonists as Maxwell Lorenzano. The film grossed $170 million dollars at the box office against a 200-million-dollar budget. Not great at all for a superhero film these days but the film was a victim of covid and was released day-and-date. This meaning that the film was released in cinemas AND on streaming the same day. The film became the biggest streaming film of the year proving that people wanted to be entertained by the film, they just wanted to be entertained at home.
The Last of Us (Television series/2023 – present)
Pascal certainly knows how to attach to himself to a global phenomenon. Firstly, he’s The Mandalorian opposite a little green baby. Next up came this global smash of 2023. Based on the video game of the same name, the story is set two decades into a pandemic that went from fungal virus to turning the population into zombies and led to the collapse of modern society. In season one, Pascal is tasked with smuggling an immune teenager across the US. On average, each episode was watched by a whopping 32 million viewers. Pascal won massive praise for his role and won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor that year. The show was nominated for an eye-watering 24 Emmys and was the first video game adaptation to win.
The Wild Robot (2024)
I have seen a lot of films at the cinema this year. Back in January I joined my local movie house as a member and can see all the films that come out at no extra cost. This means that I’ve probably seen more films that I would have had the chance too. The Wild Robot is simply the greatest piece of filmmaking I’ve seen this year. It is utterly perfect in every way. The film is based on the book of the same name by Peter Brown and tells the story of a robot who is stranded in the wilderness and must find a way to find a purpose in nature. The writing is exquisite, the animation is breathtaking, and the score deserves an Oscar. Whether you’re 5, 35, or 85, then this film is for you. So rarely these days can you laugh and cry at the same time in a film. As you can gather, I adored this picture. The stellar voice cast includes Maz Kanata herself Lupita Nyong’o, Bill Nighy, Catherine O’Hara and a certain Jedi himself – Mr Mark Hamill. Still playing in cinemas now.
Pascal continues to go from strength to strength and rise the Hollywood ladder to superstardom. He is currently starring in Ridley Scott’s epic sequel Gladiator II, which is playing in cinemas worldwide now and will be seen in the second season of The Last of Us next year.