Pedro Pascal is a Chilean-American actor whose talents have made him a Hollywood star. After his Game of Thrones role, he is known for his role as DEA agent Javier Peña in Narcos and bounty hunter Din Djarin in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian. His filmography is proof of his remarkable talent, and there is still much in store for him.
In 2023, Pascal will play Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us, a post-apocalyptic series based on the 2013 video game of the same name. He will play a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenager, Ellie, through the zombie-infested United States. It’s a great time to revisit Pedro Pascal’s best roles over the years, and this article covers some of the more interesting ones.
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Game of Thrones (Oberyn Martell)
HBO’s Game of Thrones is known for its incredible action sequences, intersecting storylines, and vicious deaths. One of the most iconic deaths in the show is that of Oberyn Martell, the character that officially introduced Pedro Pascal to the world in the fourth season. Oberyn is a quick-witted, passionate prince from Dorne who hates the Lannisters. Within this short time, he sealed the character of Oberyn Martell as one of the most beloved characters in the history of the series. Oberyn, also known as the Red Viper, was seeking revenge against the Lannisters for the deaths of his loved ones.
He enters into combat against The Mountain and initially has the upper hand but is sadly overpowered and killed. He has his eyes gouged, and his skull smashed in a gruesome and violent scene. Thanks to Pascal’s incredible performance, the character quickly became a fan favorite and was applauded by audiences and critics alike. The role helped launch Pedro Pascal’s career to new heights, as he appeared in seven episodes of the show’s fourth season in 2014.
Narcos (Javier Peña)
Narcos is an American crime drama based on factual events covering the notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and his fellow drug lords who were in conflict with the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States. Michael Pascal plays Javier Peña, a DEA agent tasked with capturing Escobar and the Cali Cartel. Narcos was the first show where Pascal played a leading role which proved to be a significant boost to the actor’s growing career, as his performance was praised by critics. Pascal pulled off the character’s role with incredible strength and charisma, capturing the affection of viewers.
Playing a character based on a true story is challenging, but having the real Javier Peña as a consultant for the show made the storytelling even more authentic, allowing Pascal to do the role justice. Narcos was released on Netflix in August 2015 and became the most-watched Netflix original series of all time. With its drama, actual events, and American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in Colombia, his performance as a rogue agent who often breaks the Department of Justice’s rules to make breakthroughs in the case against cartels made it an intriguing watch.
The Mandalorian (Din Djarin)
Pascal stars as the titular character, Din Djarin, in this top-rated space series created by Jon Favreau for the Star Wars Universe. Pascal plays the leading role of Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter whose world is turned upside down after a job he can’t complete. The show follows Din Djarin as he travels through space as a lone bounty hunter. When he encounters a young creature during a mission, Din takes him under his wing to keep him safe rather than harm him.
Grogu, or ‘Baby Yoda’ as the internet dubbed him, captured viewers’ hearts, and the pairing resulted in an exhilarating space adventure as Din and Grogu’s relationship grew. Described as a space western, the show premiered in 2019 and became an instant hit. Due to the character’s background, Pascal was creative with his voice acting to find a way to connect with the audience, as the helmet covers Din’s face for the show. The character also notably appeared in the first season of The Book of Boba Fett.
The Good Wife
The Good Wife, a popular political-legal drama, boasted an impressive cast, with Pedro Pascal appearing in seasons 1 and 2. The show was one of the biggest shows of the 2010s, running for seven years and winning five Emmy Awards before it spawned The Good Fight spin-off. Pascal played Nathan Landry, an assistant state attorney who went up against protagonist Alicia Florrick as she attempted to free her husband from prison. Pascal’s famous performance and integral role in the show’s early seasons meant he played a frequently recurring role in a multi-season arc.
The Last of Us
Pedro Pascal plays Joel Miller in the HBO series adaptation of the critically-acclaimed video game, The Last of Us. In the show’s first episode, viewers were amazed by Pascal’s realistic portrayal of Joel Miller. The first episode of The Last Of Us premiered on January 15th, 2023. It drew an estimated 4.7 million U.S. viewers, making it the second-largest opening for an HBO show since Boardwalk Empire was released on the premium cable channel in 2010.
One of the biggest reasons for the show’s success was Pascal’s interest in what happened initially in the game. Pascal is no stranger to HBO, having starred in Game of Thrones with Bella Ramsey. Ramsey plays Ellie, with a performance strikingly similar to her other famous role of Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Upcoming: My Dentist’s Murder Trial
David Harbour of ‘Stranger Things’ fame and Pedro Pascal of ‘Game of Thrones’ will be seen sharing screen space in the upcoming crime series titled ‘My Dentist’s Murder Trial’. Steve Conrad has written the series and will be directing the pilot episode. The series is inspired by James Lasdun’s 2017 New Yorker article ‘My Dentist’s Murder Trial: Adultery, False Identities, and a Lethal Sedation’.
The true crime story chronicled in the article centers around Dr. Gilberto Nunez, who was indicted in 2015 for killing his friend Thomas Kolman by getting him to ingest a substance that caused his death, as well as two forgery counts, including Nunez posing as a C.I.A. agent. Nunez had an affair with Kolman’s wife, Linda, and stood trial in 2018, where he was found not guilty of murder but guilty of fraud charges, which led to a prison sentence. As per the publication, Pascal will play Dr. Nunez. However, details regarding Harbour’s character have not been disclosed.
